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volante:
india
 Luxury getaways in India
continued
ROMANCE AND FANTASY are the keywords
which describe Devi Garh, a converted maharajah’s citadel
28 km northeast of Udaipur, overlooking the village of Delwara in
the Aravali Hills. This ambitious regeneration of a heritage structure
fuses traditional architecture with splendid modern details, design,
materials and conveniences in a setting so far from the here-and-now
as to place one in a separate mindspace altogether. You can’t quite
decide where you fit in time, with the unspoiled vistas, classical
balconies and turrets, acres of white marble, and bathrooms of outstanding
opulence, counterpoised with works of contemporary art and touches
of tasteful modernism. You never wake up from the dream.
The high service component only adds to the experience,
with a staff-to-guest ratio that insures extreme attention if you
want it. Accommodation goes from just-plain-cushy to over-the-top
posh, and it’s virtually impossible to pry oneself away from the
poolside, leafing through your best seller, sipping lime water,
punctuated by refreshing dips in water held to a perfect bathing
temperature, and the lazy napping this kind of escapism encourages.
All this before your visit to the Serena Spa, where the signature
Marma treatment will leave you near-anæsthetized in a zone
of total relaxation.
I’m not convinced there’s all that much to do in the
area, though a walk with a guide through the settlement below can
be a good introduction to a typical Rajasthani village, albeit one
accustomed to a luxury resort in operation up on the hill for a
decade, meaning higher prices than other hamlets. There is an amazing
temple dating to AD 1100 well worth
a visit, an offering, a prayer. A local astrologer will tell your
future for about US$20, and there
is a very fine naïve stone carver whose reliefs make excellent
mementoes. Then a hike back up to the gates, a return to the sweet
unreality, followed by a masterfully executed traditional meal,
perhaps in a mirrored private dining room high in the palace, accompanied
by the strains of traditional flute. No wonder this spot was once
called Raza Inayat, which translates to Place of Gods and Goddesses.
The resort is perfectly sized for meetings and events, delivering
a singular getaway from the realities of the world, and ample time
and space to rest and renew. Unforgettable.
Devi Garh
Delwara, NH 8, Near Eklingji
Nathdwara, District Rajsamand 313 202
Rajasthan
India
Telephone 91 11 2335-4554
www.deviresorts.com
reservations @deviresorts.com
Chhatra Sagar | Devi
Garh | Amanbagh | Ananda
in the Himalayas
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You can’t quite decide where you fit in time, with
the unspoiled vistas, classical balconies and turrets, acres of
white marble, and bathrooms of outstanding opulence, counterpoised
with works of contemporary art and touches of tasteful modernism.
You never wake up from the dream
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