A jewel among stones
In a place called Dholpur, known for its sandstone rather than precious stones, I met an 80-year-old gentleman who, oblivious to political correctness, spoke longingly of the days when India was the Jewel in the Imperial Crown and the princely states an emblazonry of precious gems. With the conviction of one who has been an eyewitness to history, Jai Singh Rana has sorrowfully watched these jewels disappear under dust and rubble, as India de-constructed itself in the wake of Independence.
The last 30 years have seen many erstwhile royals dusting off their surviving treasures and resurrecting them as heritage hotels — still beautiful, if somewhat scratched and tarnished, and frayed at the edges. Only very rarely does a jewel resurface as glowing and undamaged as the Raj Niwas Palace at Dholpur. If anything, it is more lustrous than it ever was, having been refurbished extravagantly by the present heir, Prince Dushyant Singh. Its simple exterior of unclad brick leaves you unprepared for the sheer opulence of the interiors. Carpets from Isfahan in Persia; ceilings, pillars and mouldings; an ornate confection of cream and gold stucco; walls clad with tiles from Europe and China in rich emerald green and crimson; floors covered in intricate mosaics transported from West Asia by camel kafilas; every room spilling over with artefacts from across 19th century Europe — Belgian glass, Victorian baths and bidets, a turn of the century Barmen Baby-Grand piano in satinwood, an 1894 Swiss music-box with Piccolo bells that still tinkle out airs and arias; antique brass-switches and fans that still work smoothly… Your first reaction is, “You’ve got to be joking!”
Incredibly enough it’s no joke. By some serendipitous sleight of fate, the palace and its treasures have floated like an anachronistic bubble on the turbulent waters of time, surviving socialism, surviving the excesses of effete royalty, and surviving the Chambal bandits that still prowl these parts. Dholpur Palace has now found safe harbour in being the cherished home of the feisty Vasundhara Raje, ex-CM of Rajasthan and mother of Dushyant Singh, Member of Parliament from Jhalawar. Vasundhara Raje is the Maharani of Dholpur, having married Maharaja Hemant Singh in 1972.
It is to her that Dushyant Singh credits the survival of his inheritance. He reminisces fondly of the days when as a young mother she rode the Chambal ravines on horseback with her famous long tresses down her back, and of how, as a boy, he swam in the Chambal river, mindful of staying out of reach of the gharial and crocodiles that inhabited the shallows. It’s the stuff of a Merchant Ivory movie but Dushyant is charmingly oblivious. “That’s some famous woman I think,” he says absently, as he points to a portrait of Queen Victoria on the wall. It is this nonchalance about the wealth and history he’s grown up with that makes you aware that you are a visitor in a medieval home and not a guest in a self-conscious heritage hotel. And if there’s one thing that truly raises it from a hotel to a royal residence, it’s the presence of the redoubtable Bubbles. She is the manager, resident mom and general factotum, fussing over and spoiling guests like they were visiting relatives. If you could for a minute lay aside the fact that you’re paying a sizable sum for the privilege of staying here, Bubbles’ warm hug as you leave is enough to ensure that you return as soon as possible with children, dog and all.
Dholpur lies at the eastern edge of Rajasthan on the border with UP and Madhya Pradesh. Set in 13 acres of garden, the palace grounds are full of peacock and birdlife that nip over from the National Chambal Sanctuary nearby. The high-ceilinged suites (large enough to fit in at least two duplex flats!), open out onto wide, chik-shaded private verandas where you can lounge over morning chai and chhota hazri, while hovering minions scurry to your imperious “koi hai!” It’s a life you could get used to pretty quick — sipping your sun-downer in an overstuffed armchair, or soaking in an antique Victorian bathtub.
Then, when ennui and too much good food begin to weigh heavy, you could explore the National Chambal Sanctuary next door. The sanctuary is a 400-km protected stretch of the river. At a rearing centre nearby, you can cuddle a baby gharial or tickle a croc’s tummy if you are so inclined. A safari organised by entrepreneur Ram Pratap Singh takes you on a four-hour ride down the River Chambal, drifting past gharials basking on the sandbanks, reverie dolphin arcing out of the glassy grey water, marsh crocodiles and turtles sunning themselves on the rocks and a wealth of birds fluttering around. In fact, so rich is the bird-life during the winter months that it warrants an exclusive birding holiday in itself. The river cruise is followed by lunch under a parachute tent and if you have the stamina, there’s more on offer — a camel ride through the infamous Chambal ravines with their craggy cliffs casting deep, dramatic noon shadows, like something out of a Hollywood Western. The safari takes you past small villages and across a pontoon bridge to the spectacular Ater Fort in MP.
Dholpur is fortuitously located at equidistance between Agra and Gwalior on NH3, less than an hour’s drive in either direction. It’s the perfect place to base yourself if you want to visit these places while staying away from the noise and clutter of the city. Dholpur, too, has many interesting monuments of its own. Along small interior roads are piquant sights of deserted kabristans (graveyards), a quiet hilltop mazaar where a holy pir baba sits, ancient temples and the odd nilgai crossing the road. Everywhere are hills of the famous pink Dholpur sandstone that’s been used in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Dholpur Palace has several facets. For the visitor it’s an opportunity to reign over a palace on a weekend; for the people’s representative from Jhalawar it’s a boyhood home that must be preserved. But most importantly, for India it’s a shining jewel from our past. It is no more a priority in our mad rush towards the future. And its lustre finds reflection in the fading eyes of old Jai Singh Rana who is happy that some things have not changed.
– Copyright: Exotica, the wellness and lifestyle magazine from The Pioneer Group, available in all rooms of select five-star hotel chains across the country
