Art house hospitality

Place: CHURI AJITGARH

Hotel: VIVAANA

While Vivaana offers the comforts of a modern boutique hotel, its heritage will make your visit memorable

The haveli is an imposing 125 year old richly
adorned erstwhile townhouse

However much you think you have ‘done’ Rajasthan - seen all the majestic forts, lived vicariously as a pretend royal in palace hotels, been to camel safaris and heard desert music, shooed birds and made faces at tigers – from a distance of course, shopped and gorged and swung between the authentic and exotica, along comes the next destination. 

Shekhawati is a special part of Rajasthan. Unlike most of the state, is green, lays high priority to education, exports entrepreneurs and paints its houses as few anywhere do. At first glance Churi Ajitgarh, a little brown hamlet somewhere in the middle of this edge-of-desert region, has little to offer to the tourist. 

Vivaana's best feature are its
original paintings, lovingly restored

But look closer, and every wall of the old havelis of the now twin villages of Churi and Ajitgarh are just waiting for people to decipher their tapestries. A royal court here, traders there, a garden in its splendour, Radha and Krishna dancing, scenes from the ancient myths, impossibly attired people, floral patterns, even British soldiers – it’s a rich tapestry of visual history that entices anyone willing to spend time traipsing around the unpaved, soft twisting lanes that are flanked by many majestic havelis, an occasional mandir, madrasa or johad, and even a colonial style garden, complete with follies with cupolas! Check out Nemani Kothi for the best art. 

Painted havelis are a hallmark of the region, and many today have been restored, some well, others criminally badly. Vivaana, a new boutique heritage hotel, the first in Churi Ajitgarh, has chosen to let its richly painted walls remain as they were, while restoring a two adjacent late 19th century havelis and converting them to a 23-room hotel. For owners Atul and Devna Khanna, it has been a labour of love. And it shows – each room is distinct, stocked with period furniture, and complemented by modern amenities, though no television or refrigerators. 

Paintings cover most wall surfaces at Vivaana. Note the expressions on Radha and Krishna in this work. Priceless.

The rooms even have original frescos – while most have religious or everyday life themes, there are even erotic ones. Restoration took quite a few years, say the Khannas, a Delhi based entrepreneur couple. While they have tried to maintain the traditional look, some changes had to be made for it to be modern hotel. The rooms added washrooms, electricity has been brought in. Some open spaces have been converted (the elephant stable is now the spa). Changes included adding a green colour to doors to rnliven the inner courtyards, a step not well received by purists, recollects Atul Khanna. 

Intach was involved in the restoration, and there is actually a little tucked away museum that illustrates the story of restoration. It offers a fascinating story of how this property transformed to a hotel, from when Khanna and his son Shiven, now a lawyer in Bombay, found this haveli about five years ago to how the former owner's family had to be persuaded to sell an adjoining haveli. 

A grand tea room on the upper level of one the havelis

For the average guest however, a stay here is akin to time travel, albeit with a modern spa, pool, bar, restaurant, tea lounge, library, game room, gardens and other modern facilities. Rich detailing in the selection of interiors, from furniture to crockery to curios, is guaranteed to make the guest delight in quaintly informal home. Look out for the old world safes, the beautiful courtyard flanked on one side the reception, the way the name of the hotel is written outside (on an orange Amby’s numberplate).  Service unsurprisingly is personalized, right from the entry heralded by musicians playing traditional trumpets to gently falling rose petals. 

While an art lover will fall short of time, given the huge expanse of paintings in Vivaana, and indeed Churi Ajitgarh, other options for entertainment are also available, such as camel safaris, admire the visiting peacocks or visits to neighbouring towns such as Mandawa, Nawalgarh and Fatehpur, also known for their painted havelis. The evenings have cultural shows, but you could relax by the pool, or indeed in it, or marvel at the brightness of the stars in the inky blue skies that India’s urban dwellers no longer get at home! Vivaana is a corner of Rajasthan you will be glad to have discovered. 

Churi Ajitgarh has many havelis
that if restored, could make it a
 bigger destination for tourists

-----------
Checklist: 

GETTING THERE: About 260 kms from Delhi, and 142 kms from Jaipur. Easy access by roads, which are of decent quality too! Nearest airports at Jaipur, nearest railway station at Mukundgarh, 5 kms away 

WEATHER: North Indian weather – hot summers, cool winter, can get chilly in the evenings

ROOMS: 23, each unique

AMENITIES: Includes free internet - check connectivity though :); pool, spa, fitness centre, room service, kitchenette; missing - televisions, refrigerators

TARIFF: Mid range

Travels by aquatint

Place: COLONIAL INDIA

Book:
DANIELLS' INDIA: Views from the eighteenth century
Introduction: B N Goswamy
Niyogi Books
Pages: 204 
Price: Rs 6,000

Professor Mushirul Hasan’s tenure at the National Archives ended recently with the release of particularly significant work – the publication of a book consisting reproductions of exquisite aquatints by the famous English uncle-nephew duo Thomas and William Daniell.  These are part of the collection at National Archives, and present an unparalleled view of late 18th century India- a time of fervent and major changes in directions for India’s polity and economy.

The Water-fall at Puppanassum in the Tinnevelly District  

Not that this is overtly visible in their tranquil depictions of India. When they came to India, after seeking and getting permission of the ‘Honourable Court of the Directors of the East India Company’, Thomas was 36, his nephew William barely16.  They set sail to India in 1785, reaching Calcutta next year. The British Raj had firmly established itself, with the East Indian Company armies winning victories over rulers in Bengal, the south, the Marathas and the Mughals and finally Tipu Sultan’s Mysore.  

The Writers’ Buildings, so called from being the residence of the junior
part of the Gentlemen in the service of the English East India Company.
 Immediately beyond this Edifice is the old Court House; the road leads
on to the Loll Bazar; the obelisk was erected by Governor Holwell,*
 in commemoration of the dreadful circumstance which
happened in the prison called the Blackhole in the year 1756.

Thomas Daniell, as was the custom, on reaching India, advertised in the Calcutta Chronicle that “he proposed to publish twelve views of Calcutta at twelve gold Mohurs the set... there was demand for this kind of work, for the British, potential subscribers, loved the city which had grown to be ‘not only the handsomest town in Asia but one of the finest in the world’”.  Considerable success later, the duo were drawn to go into the hinterlands – up the Ganga, to Murshidabad – the original home of Company Paintings, and then onwards to the leading cities of the time - Patna, Kanpur, Agra  and Delhi, returning to Calcutta only in 1791. Over eight years, they made three major journeys – after travelling up the Ganga, they went south, basing themselves in Madras and traversing the southern parts of peninsular India. The last journey took them to the west, covering Elephanta, Kanheri and Salsette among others.  

THE ENTRANCE TO THE MAUSOLEUMS IN SULTAUN KHUSERO’S GARDEN, NEAR ALAHABAD: This gate is the principal entrance to the garden in which Sultaun Khusero, his mother the Ranee, and his brother Sultaun Purveiz, are interred. Though a massy structure, it has by no means a heavy effect; and though it formerly may have appeared with more splendor, having been painted with different colours, that surface is fortunately now nearly washed off. The upper part towards the garden is much decayed.  

THE JUMMAH MUSJED, AT DELHI: The Jummah Musjed, or Friday’s Mosque,
 is the principal place of religious worship of the followers of the
Mahommedan doctrine in India. This edifice was built by the Emperor
Shah Jehan. The domes, and all the other parts which appear white,
are of Cashmerian marble, the rest of red stone procured in the
neighbourhood of Delhi. In regularity of design and correctness  of
execution this building is considered of the first class. It is approached
by three magnificent gates.

Their itinerary was exhaustive, and the geography covered extensive - from Garhwal in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, and often took them to places no one had recorded earlier. Their works are remarkably detailed, much in the style of Canaletto, and possibly in tune with William Galpin’s contemporary Picturesque art, which concentrated on landscapes. Indeed the landscapes that the Daniells have depicted in their works are of a romantic, mystical, exotic India, an image that persists to this day. Thomas Sutton quotes a glowing tribute to the artistic work of the Daniells, “The execution of these drawings is indeed masterly; there is every reason to confide in the fidelity of the representations; and the effect produced by this rich and splendid display of oriental scenery is truly striking. In looking at it, one may almost feel the warmth of an Indian sky, the water seems to be in actual motion and the animals, trees and plants are studies for the naturalist.”

TREMAL NAIG’S CHOULTRY, MADURA: The Choultry of rajah Tremal Naig is considered as one of the first works of its kind in the south of Hindoostan. Its general form is that of a parallelogram, three hundred and twelve feet in length, by one hundred and twenty-five feet in width; and consists of one large hall, the ceiling of which is supported by six ranges of columns, about twenty-five feet in height, many of them formed of single stones, and the whole composed of grey granite. This view contains half the centre ile. On the second pillar to the right hand is the effigy of the rajah with three of his wives, to whom, for his munificence, the Hindoos still continue to pay divine honours. Beyond the rajah, and on the pillars opposite to him are other statues representing his family. In the ceiling are the twelve signs of the zodiac; and a number of mythological figures carved in basso relievo, are interspersed through the building, which, together with a profusion of other decorations, are executed with an uncommon degree of skill and attention.

Their work is dominated by stunning details – of palaces, forts, cities, baolis, hills, valleys, masjids, pavilions, ghats, temples, waterfalls, even a pagoda. Ruins had a special attraction, as did the nature itself. There is the bounty and splendour of nature (see The Water-Fall at Puppanassum in the Tinnevelly District), meticulous reproductions of architectural details (Tremal Naig’s Choultry, Madura – okay, let me translate - a choultry or reception hall for pilgrims built by then ruler Tirumala Nayak in 1635 in Madurai) or the everyday flow of life (view of Chitpore Road, Calcutta). The scale is usually majestic, and people are usually almost props, used to highlight the scale of the surroundings.

View Near DARAMUNDI, in the Mountains of SERINAGUR

The story of printmaking has been a long one, and aquatints were not one of the simpler techniques. The uncle nephew duo must have endured a lot during their back breaking, even pioneering journeys. Goswamy mentions that the painters themselves form part of the works occasionally. We see them from the back painting outside the fort at Bijaigarh, hunched over, holding a long telescope, next to a snoozing dog, shading themselves from the sun, both with hats and small canopy held by two servants. They are seen discussing in a group outside the palace at Madurai. It is impossible to calculate just how much the knowledge of the country was improved by their work, recording an India that not many knew existed.

It is good to note that they did well financially from their exhausting efforts. When they undertook their second journey - to the south, they were accompanied by a more extensive retinue of “two palanquins each with bearers, two horses and grooms, a bullock cart and three pack-bullocks, seven bearers to carry provisions, two porters to carry their drawing tables, besides several personal servants”. London saw richer rewards once they returned and published Oriental Scenery.

Today the duo are more than just a footnote in the fascinating story of the subcontinent. You may have seen their work at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, or enjoyed their detailed craftsmanship over a drink at Daniells’ Tavern, named after them, at Delhi’s Imperial hotel. This book brings it closer home, the book’s excellent reproductions – compare it to HD in print if you like, and production quality, makes it a great pleasure to pore over the finer details of each painting. Most of the captions are detailed, and while original captions and spellings are used, there is a glossary at the end that makes sense of most names. Well for most. Yes, Bahar is Bihar and Cannouge is Kannauj, but there is no clue to ‘Chevalpettore’, ‘Dhuah Koonde’, ‘Siccra Gulley on the Ganges’ and some others! Perhaps a note on the places or map of their itinerary would help research follow the trail to these exotic destinations. And perhaps a CD of the works!