Travel + Leisure - India & South Asia
A Delicious Escape
On the outskirts of Bikaner, the regal Gaj Kesri served as the perfect base for TANVI JAIN to experience a potent mix of culture, cuisine, and heritage in the fabled city earlier this year.
Hotel, which I’d later visit. He reveals that the idea of Gaj Kesri came up in the year 2006. Being an art enthusiast, he decided to take charge of the property’s architecture and decor himself.
Gaj Kesri is every bit a boutique hotel, with 17 standard rooms and 24 superior rooms. Two of the three wings have been named after Sunil Rampuria’s two granddaughters, Mohini and Karni. On the terrace, a huge swimming pool feels like the perfect oasis to beat the scorching heat of the desert region. Days here begin with the chirruping of birds. A morning stroll amid all the greenery not only soothes my senses, but also gives the day the kind of start one would want on a holiday.
All set to explore the city, I first head to the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok, around 30 kilometres from Bikaner. Dedicated to Goddess Karni, it is also called the Rat Temple of India. The rats—around 20,000 in number—amuse and frighten me. Regarded as mythical beings, they are keenly taken care of by the devotees. I also visit Bhanwar Niwas, one of the seven Rampuria havelis in Bikaner. It has been a functional hotel since October 1993, and flaunts an Indo-European design style redolent of the 1920s. Much like Gaj Kesri, it is adorned by Usta art. The artwork for both hotels is made at the warehouse in the haveli.
Authentic Marwari dishes make this trip a delicious treat. Think moth khakhra, tomato launji, kanji vada, bajri and moth dal khichra, gatta khichdi, onion buttermilk, tamarind water, etc. But the sweet rajbhog tops the list of my culinary discoveries.
Day three begins with a visit to the 16th-century Junagarh Fort. This is also the day when I finally visit Bikaner’s local handicraft market and get my hands on the famous Bikaneri bhujia at the century-old Chhotu Motu Joshi sweet shop. The eventful day comes to a musical end with a karaoke night at Gaj Kesri.
I am back in Delhi the next afternoon, but not without a souvenir. I bring with me from Bikaner a box of sutarfeni—a dessert of threadlike noodles made out of rice flour roasted in ghee, then blended with caramelised sugar and spun together like cotton candy. It is a popular dish among locals in Bikaner, a place I shall cherish in my memory for a long time. gajkesri.com
of camel caravans from the Middle East, China, and India in the 18th century. Once home to over 100 villages and forts, the region is perfect for a weekend of social distancing. It brims with forlorn havelis and frescoes. The town of Mandawa in Jhunjhunu district, with dozens of dilapidated Shekhawati mansions, is the pick of the region and is home to the fort-turned-hotel Castle Mandawa Hotel (castlemandawa.com).
Another erstwhile princely state, Alwar,
149 kilometres from Jaipur, is home to ancient mosques and tombs, the beautiful Lake Siliserh, and an imposing fort with a museum displaying Persian manuscripts and Mughal miniature paintings. Stay at Neemrana’s Hill Fort Kesroli
(neemranahotels.com) and head to the Sariska
Tiger Reserve (107 kilometres from Jaipur) for a dose of wilderness. For exciting wildlife sightings, there’s nothing quite like Ranthambore National Park (190 kilometres from Jaipur)—stay at Sawai Vilas (sawaivilas.com) for a luxe holiday. While Bhangarh, at just 83 kilometres, lures the adventure lover in you with its spooky folklore, the country’s largest salt lake in Sambhar is a smooth drive of an hour and a half, and makes for the perfect destination for camping and stargazing.
tourism.rajasthan.gov.in
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