Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Jaipur Wanderings and Khatu Haveli

I am enjoying my summer break in India! Last year I made two attempts to drive down to Jaipur from Delhi. However, the torrential rain dashed my plans! This year, I was determined to make it there! With my mom as my guide ( she has become quite the local as my parents have been going for the Jaipur Literature Festival annually since its inception )  With one day and a night we had to achieve a lot! Armed with a list of shops to browse we were all set :) My aim primarily was to go treasure hunting for my little online boutique!!

We stayed away from the big bazaars and made it to a few select shops. Jaipur's chaotic traffic did not deter me, as we meandered through narrow lanes to find what we were looking for! I have to sheepishly admit that while linen and quilts were not on my agenda, I caved in and bought some gorgeous block printed textiles for my home.
An extremely interesting discovery was a store called Mangalam Arts! This place is an endless warehouse of arts and artifacts, colonial and period furniture, vintage prints and lighting and so much more!

Here are a few images......











Last, but certainly, not the least was an early morning visit to my parents friend's family home! Khatu Haveli is a beautifully restored heritage property inside the walled city and is a small boutique hotel! With courtyards and pretty arches this place is an absolute delight. Elegant furniture, carefully curated knick knacks and vintage family pictures add style and elegance to this lovely hotel! My favorite was the terrace which has the most amazing view of Nahargarh Fort! I saw it during the day, but the real drama is at night when the guests can sit beneath the stars and see the twinkling lights of the fort beyond.

 For fans of the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, here is some interesting information! Inspired  by the movie, the BBC aired a three part documentary series  in the winter of 2016 which was filmed at Khatu Haveli. The filming took place in September 2015 when the cast of eight British celebrities stayed at the Haveli for three weeks. The cast were all senior citizens above the age of 65 with diverse professional backgrounds. They traveled to India to explore the possibility of settling in India post retirement. Fun...right??
After being telecast on BBC 2 as The Real Marigold Hotel the documentary series is now also known as “ The Indian Dream Hotel” and is being telecast in other countries. It is available on YouTube.


 For me ,personally, Khatu Haveli is the ideal base to delve into the history and grandeur of Rajasthan. Here are some quick pictures of this lovely property! I have to thank Sushma Aunty and Amar Uncle for a lovely tour and a scrumptious breakfast :) It really was the highlight of my trip to Jaipur.

To know more about this heritage hotel find them here.

















Keep on smiling and Travel on...


Images:  Khatu Haveli and Copyright My Dream Canvas!

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