February 20 -21, 2010
Shahpura Bagh is an “OH MY GOD” place/experience/family/city whatever. This is a family estate from one of the old “Royal” families of India. Our hosts own the estate and are the great grandchildren of the ruler - they even have their own fort on a hill, stuffed tigers and leopards in the dining room, farms, towns, and schools - a Shah! The deed and title to this estate was given, signed and sealed by Emperor Shahjahan who is -- the same jolly guy who built the Taj Mahal. It is extremely relaxing and like the other guests stated “has a good vibe”. After hectic and dirty cities, this is the perfect place to recharge. You can tell it is a luxury accommodation by the mere fact that we have 4 rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom with more than 4 sheets of paper on each. The place is immaculate and has a magical old charm. The hosts treat you like family and routinely sit with us giving us insight into Indian culture, religion and the caste system. We also delved into discussions on meditation and mind reading (do da do). They also entertained us with stories of botched up renovations on their estate. For example, they can’t seem to get the local workers to understand the desire for straight lines in construction. So when putting in a new walkway they gave the builder a rope to run to ensure the walkway was straight. The owner checked the project later only to find the last 10 ft of the walkway go off in a different direction by about 10 degrees. Frustrated, the owner asked why – the worker’s reply - the rope was not long enough so I did it in two parts.
We have been eating like royalty and been taken on local tours through small villages where the houses are made of mud, cow dung and grass; an old family fort; and other parts of the estate with mango groves, antelope and birdlife. The villages are very untouched by tourism and the people, especially the kids, are super friendly and happy, constantly yelling “bye, bye” as that is all the English they know.
We feel super energized, relaxed and somehow enlightened (?wow) at this wonderful escape back to the time of Maharajas and old India.
Ommmmm
Laurie
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Hi S&L, your Shahpura Bagh blog was great, and the shot of Laurie lounging by the pool pavilion was the COVER SHOT for your book. Quite the palace...sounds like you're experiencing quite the upstairs/downstairs cultures with not much middle class...and I thought India had a huge growing flat-screen demanding middle? You must be skirting it. It's Monday in DC,... we head for Williamsburg this weekend, I'm running the Colonial Half Marathon (alone, again, naturally). Staying with our friends in VA Bch, Charlee & Terry Gowin, (she sold our house when we left Norfolk). Dan shops while I run.
ReplyDeleteLooks very relaxing Laurie!
ReplyDeleteKarly