Gateway to the Thar

I have had the pleasure of visiting Rajasthan on several occasions over the past three decades either filming movie projects, attending music and literary soirées, polo galas, royal weddings, or simply as a traveller fascinated by the numerous desert principalities that feuded and flourished in medieval Rajputana.

Most of my trips have been to Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur but I recall, 25 years ago while shooting a documentary film, being greatly enamoured by the yellow sandstone fortress of Jaisalmer that rises majestically, almost mirage-like, from the sandy plains of the mighty Thar.

So, when a friend invited my wife Simone and me to celebrate his 50th birthday in Jaisalmer at the luxury boutique hotel of Suryagarh, I was delighted to accept despite being aware that temperatures mid-May in Rajasthan usually hover in the mid-forties.

We were accorded a very warm (41 C) welcome at Jodhpur airport by a smartly liveried chauffeur who proffered cold towels and chilled beverages before whisking us in an SUV to Suryagarh. When the ramparts of Jaisalmer loomed into view four hours later we gazed in awe at the sand-coloured citadel as it glimmered in the radiance of the setting sun. This ‘Golden City’ has long been a coveted stronghold and popular caravan serai on the great Spice Route from Persia and Afghanistan, and it is as steeped in history as it is in commerce. In fact, wealthy merchants rather than royalty built many of the famous ornately carved havelis of Jaisalmer.

At this point we were met and sharply saluted by two festooned guards from Suryagrah who escorted our vehicle the remaining distance in an open jeep with the hotel’s orange flags proudly aflutter in the desert breeze. If that much pomp and pageantry were not enough, nagada drum players and sapera dancers heralded our arrival into stately Suryagarh even as two Rajput lancers astride caparisoned camels led the way to the reception area.

Slightly overwhelmed by the exuberant welcome, we paused to catch our breath in the lobby, tastefully designed by Raghavendra Singh Rathore, and were soon ushered to our opulent suite. The first thing I noticed about the interior décor was that it is decidedly contemporary. It exuded a chic, international aesthetic with few of the design trappings usually found in Rajasthani palace hotels. This, as it turns out, is at the core of Suryagarh’s philosophy and is best expressed in the words of its dynamic General Manager Karan Singh, “We are not just a hotel, but represent a unique way of life, carefully preserving the traditions of our past yet framing them in a modern idiom.”

That evening as we convened with our friends in the hotel’s sprawling candlelight dappled courtyard and sipped champagne we met the two men who are the driving force behind Suryagarh. Manvendra Singh, all of 32 years old, hails from a Rajasthani business family and saw potential in building a luxury boutique property in Jaisalmer, a destination slightly off the beaten tourist track. He soon roped in the services of Karan Singh, a seasoned hotelier who has worked at some of the world’s finest hotels. A true bon vivant, Karan is instantly endearing given the warmth of his hospitality and his passion for life.

Over the next three days and nights, Karan and his cohorts indulged us by organising elaborate picnics atop virginal sand dunes at sunset and treating us to a decadent Indian breakfast served amidst medieval ruins in the company of myriad peacocks. This was all very Merchant-Ivory in detail and locale and it became apparent that the hotel exults in going to extraordinary lengths to enchant its guests. Suryagrah offers a culinary experience that is as inventive as it is eclectic. We found ourselves feasting on a seven-course meal one evening that included delicately prepared quail and rabbit besides such Rajasthani staples as laal maas and ker sangri. By employing bhatiyaara cooks whose forebears once travelled with the Mughal armies, the gourmand GM has infused his menu with a variety and robustness not often found in five star hotel cuisines. As Manganiyar singers sang songs of Rajput chivalry, we sat cross-legged in a sunken courtyard on another balmy evening and partook of a community dining experience on large copper thaals off which local camel herders traditionally eat.

Three days later, the festivities concluded, we hugged Manvendra and Karan goodbye and thanked their untiring team for the incredible experience. Suryagarh, like all truly great hotels worldwide, had attended to our comfort with hospitality that was as intuitive as it was sincere.

That evening, as we drove through the desert, I realised that sometimes the path less trod is best traversed with a host who delights in discovering with you the secrets and wonders of a fabled land.