Beauty in the Aravallis.

The Rakhi ka Swayamvar venue marries class with convenience

AT THE outset, I must confess I owe one to Rakhi Sawant. Had she not organised her Swaymvar and had my significant half not been glued to TV watching her, I would have never known about the beautiful destination called Fateh Garh, a heritage resort that doesn't have to make an effort to look pretty.

One evening, I was screaming for a change of channel when I saw Rakhi Sawant descending down the stairs of Fateh Garh wearing her most gleeful expression. The backdrop looked amazing. I did some research and got to know this was the same Fateh Garh that had been listed as one of the hot hotels of 2009 by the Conde Nast Traveler. Well, that was another reason for my fantasies to be ignited.

After a call to Fateh Garh, pushing them to accommodate me on a heavily booked weekend, there I was all set to go. To add that sizzle in the travel plan, we decided to take the overnight Mewar Express. The train's Business Class (AC First) is quite like your private room with good or bad neighbours. You may want to put up your best image for them, even though they may be itching to get into your conversation, but you can still continue to fight over who'd take the upper berth.

Scenic Landscape

The sound of raindrops on the window of the train got me out of the bunker bed ( so now you know who won the battle!). We were just 10 minutes away from the station. Fifteen minutes from the city, we were on a hilly track hemmed in by the Aravallis.

The drive through the scenic landscape of corn fields, rivulets and lush green hillocks was refreshing and after one sharp turn, the imposing palace appeared out of nowhere on the horizon, towering into the sky.

Closer to the palace, a strong breeze occasionally punctured the silence of the place. Complementing the silence was the twittering of birds. I looked around, dazed, unable to recover from the awesome sight.

It was drizzling and the hills looked fresh and happy with lush green cover. I saw one white cousin of an eagle, showing off her dainty wings, flapping away to glory.

BF is on a desperate lookout for ' chicks' these days, so I left him capturing images of the bird and entered the magnificent antique gate of the palace. I walked up the winding pathway stylishly showcasing family armour and found myself in the middle of the imperial hall. This was a glass- encased lobby where the pankha s complement the choicest selection of carpets, furniture and antique pieces.

Triumph of Localism 

The dashing Jitendra Singh Rathore, fondly known as ' Joy', is the creative brain behind Fateh Garh. Talk to him and he'll insist on the word ' indigenous'. His runs the resort on the principle of conserving nature by using indigenous resources. And he put his money where his mouth is by planting around 50,000 indigenous trees, including those that produce oil for lamps all around the resort.

From the construction material to the marble sculptures of the gods, to the wooden doors, furniture and decorative elements, everything in the palace is locally sourced. Even the village women have been coaxed to come forth and take up housekeeping positions.

Fateh Garh is an example of a 150- year- old crumbling palace transposed back in time stone for stone to a new location.

Transposing a ruin, Rathore says, is challenging, but at the same time it is more economical than trying to restore a heritage property, which is being done all over.

And that's not all. The palaceresort seamlessly marries traditional wisdom with contemporary requirements. So, you have a step well, temple, baradari ( an open pavilion with 12 arches), and a pool designed according to the principles of vastu shastra.

The extensive open spaces and endless terraces ensure the place stays cool naturally and the mini- reservoir recycles water. Wind and energy are tapped by the resort's own windmill and solar plant. Even the spa is an extension of the Vedic principles driving the place. The sculptures, the chakra treatments and rooms that look up to the rolling hills -- they induce a sense of serenity.

Every place has a feel to it. If Delhi keeps me on my toes, Udaipur stands for sleepy, effervescent and aesthetic. Fateh Garh further accentuates this dream- like quality.

It is designed to recharge your batteries and make you return with positive energy. As the rest went walking, trekking and riding, I simply lay back and spent hours just gazing at the herons and egrets as they went about their business of soaking in the sun or bathing in the rain.

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