I am convinced, I must have definitely done some good in my past life, why else would I get a chance to travel to such exotic and pristine places under the pretext of WORK!
This time around, my work took me
to the gorgeous Rajasthani state of Udaipur!
Am kinda feelin' lazy to write this post, so am just gonna paste the script that I wrote for my English story here, describes everything about the mighty Devigad Palace....so here it goes!
Udaipur, call it the city of lakes, Venice of the East, or the most romantic city of Rajasthan, call it what you may, but also holds the gates to one of the most luxurious palace hotels in India. Ladies n Gentlemen, This is the Devigarh Palace.
Once occupied by royalty, today it makes U feel like one, from the moment you step inside its magnificent courtyard.
Devigarh literally translates to Fortress of the Godess.
Nestled in the Aravalli hills, this 18th century palace was awarded to Sajja Singh, who hailed from Gujarat, for displaying his bravery and loyalty to Maharana Pratap of Mewar against the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the battle of Haldighati. Post independence all princely states and palaces were amalgamated in the state administration and hence the palace was badly ignored. In 1990s, Mrs. Chandralekha poddar acquired the property and revived it as a luxury palace hotel. And today its stands tall as an epitome of luxury, not just in India, but also all over the globe.
Originally, Devigarh palace had 150 rooms, but when it was renovated, only 39 rooms were kept. The average room is spread over a comfortable 400 to 500 sq. ft.; this sense of space with a combination of minimalist interiors translates to a sense of lavishness. Normal 5 star hotels generally have only 4 to 5 suites but in Devigarh, all rooms are suites. N choose them on the basis of the view you want, Aravalli suites, palace suites or the garden suites with an al fresco lounge. Bigger the room, higher the tariff. Get ready to shell anything from 400 to 900 dollars for this indulgence.
The Presidential suite here is also the Devigarh suite and has been occupied by the likes of Queen of Morocco, Liz Hurley, Arun nayar and our very own Big B. Spread over a sprawling 1050 sq. ft.; this ones meant for the kings only. Be it the master bedroom with hints of gold, or the traditional yet contemporary lounge space with interesting local artwork, every corner craves for attention. And Ladies, if u r the types whos very fussy abt da bathroom, Celebrate! But my fav part of the Prez suite is this private Jacuzzi, just sit back enjoy a glass of Dom perignon n soak in the palace experience.. ..This is Life!!! Cost of this priceless experience, seulement 1300 green bills for a night.
Devigarh Palace has so many courtyards and rooms that u can spend hours just exploring this beauty, be it age old paintings, palace doors, jharokhas or chairs.. or the pricley durbar hall n the billiards room, time stands still everywhere.
Feeling high n dry, head to the pool, get that perfect tan or do a few laps, but dont forget the open air Jacuzzi, theres almost nothing else like it.
After all that calorie burnin, its time to replenish them, so head staright to the restaurant which is also called, funnily, The Restaurant. Hey, dont miss the bar interiors.
Evenings at Devigarh are magical. A calm scented breeze, soothing sounds of the flute and appetizing aromas of food. Here you can have a candle lit dinner experience with cuisine ranging from lal maas to risotto.
But if the restaurant is too crowded for you just request the management and they will arrange a cozy and very personal dining experience for you, wherever you want. One tip, dont forget to try the rajasthani thali, its lip-smackin.
Devigarh arranges these camel rides that take you around the town of mewar where u get a pseudo sense of A king on his evening stroll looking down at his subjects.. a major ego boost I tell u.
If you are at Devigarh, do try the Serena spa which counts amongst the best spas of the country. The trained staff carries out a host of ayurvedic treatments here. From a head and shoulder massage to a full body massage, herbal aromatic oils are used for all treatments. Serena’s signature treatment is the Marma massage which is a full body massage where the therapist uses her feet for just the right amount of pressure. One n a half hours of this pampering will set u back by 4000 bucks.
Luxury, thy name is Devigad!!!
