India… luxuriously yours!

Eponymous with the word luxury, India is a treasure trove of all things decadent and hedonistic. Raul Dias draws up a list of the best of the best this subcontinent has on offer for the sybarite in us all

“It is impossible to overdo luxury” is an old French proverb. One that seems as though it was conjured up after a glimpse into India’s rich tapestry of decadence that has over the years been woven with splendor, embellished with glitz and finished off with opulence. Ask any true-blooded ‘luxurista’ what images the word India triggers and be prepared to be assaulted with tales of traveling in extravagant trains, spending a few nights in impossibly beautiful palaces, decorating oneself with rubies the size of quail eggs, indulging in hedonistic day-long spa rituals, wearing ensembles made from the finest brocades and partaking in sumptuous feasts fit for a maharaja.
But before you begin to dismiss all this away as being “fables from an era long gone”, now would be the right time to sit up and read the fine print that says all this and so much more can be found in the India of today. Yes, India 2010 is as much luxurious as it was when Salvatore Ferragamo himself made a pair of black velvet and diamond slippers for Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar in the early 1900s. A land where you can eat, stay, experience, wander and adorn yourself in the best your money can buy. You just need to know where to look and be prepared to submit yourself to the lure of luxe…


Stay
The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai may as well be another name for luxury and opulence. Though not a palace in the real sense of the word, it sure does imbue all the royalty, pomp and glory that is its forte. The 2008 terror attacks notwithstanding, the Grand Old Lady of Apollo Bunder as it is fondly called still shines her dazzling best with her marble lobbly decorated with a Husain mural and heritage wing that has true connoisseurs of art and beauty coming back for an encore glance of her time and again. With stellar and iconic restaurants like the Zodiac Grill, Wasabi and Shamiana, the Taj is regality personified. But India is perhaps the only country in the world where you can vicariously live the hedonistic lives of the maharajas of yore by spending a few nights, if not a lifetime in a real palace. With a cornucopia of hotels that have been carved out of palaces, luxurious stays in India are well within one’s reach. One such recent entrant on the scene is the Chomu Palace Hotel in Jaipur. The Palace is located in the quaint little town of Chomu, and stands as a 300-year old, fortified structure. Adopted by the Dangayach group, who out of pure passion for the property, undertook the exhaustive task of non-invasive restoration, and gave the once forlorn palace a new lease of life. The Chomu Palace hotel, Jaipur is a majestic three-storied structure, complete with the best of both worlds; an unmatchable regal ambience and every modern amenity that the contemporary traveller may need. With fifty-eight elegantly furnished suites, The Chomu Palace Hotel in Jaipur leaves no stone unturned when it comes to giving one the ultimate experience of royalty.
Deep in the heart of the jungle the rustic, but super luxurious Oberoi Vanyavilas that is part of The Ranthambore National Park is another jewel in the rough. It is the perfect base from which to explore the territory of the majestic tiger. Tiger sightings are most frequent during the months of May and June. While it is warm during the day, mornings and evenings are pleasant. The resort setting is picture-perfect with a dramatic watercourse and sun-kissed private decks. The luxury tents with finely embroidered canopies, spacious bathrooms and private walled gardens are in perfect contrast to the ruggedness of the jungle.
For a different sort of luxury experience head south to the lush ambrosial setting of Kerala to partake in all the Taj Garden Retreat in Kumarakom has to offer. Read: azure backwaters, swaying palms, and floating houseboats. These are a few of the things that inspired English Missionary Henry Baker, in the late 19th century, to acquire land on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Today, it is known as the Taj Garden Retreat, Kumarakom. Often referred to as the little jewel of Kumarakom, it still maintains the beauty of its rustic surroundings. The 123-year-old colonial bungalow houses newly built Luxury Villas, heritage rooms and charming cottages. At this idyllic retreat, guests can look forward to practicing the art of doing nothing or keeping themselves busy with a variety of experiences, from nature to adventure, from culture to cuisine, and from rejuvenation to religion. Go on… indulge yourself.


Eat
Luxury dining in India has always been an event in itself with khansamaas or cooks of the nawabs and maharajas painstakingly dishing out delectable, often gold and sliver leaf embellished dishes that took them hours if not days to prepare, complete with dry fruits and nuts enhancing their visual and edible appeal. Temples of fine dining in India like the Zodiac Grill and Indigo in Mumbai and Sakura in Delhi are revered for their decadent and ultra-expensive edible offerings that often rake up a six-figure bill for an intimate group of four! But over the last few years a revolution of sorts has invaded the traditional Indian kitchen simply called Molecular Gastronomy. One of the first chefs to bring this concept to out shores was Chef Jeetendra Kumar, the executive chef of Mumbai’s Taj Land’s End Hotel with his innovative spoonfuls of vodka pellets, fruit caviar and powder ice cream to tease the pallate. Chef Vicky Ratnani of Aurus in Mumbai too has been a pioneer of sorts with his unique dishes like Balsamic Air and the refreshing Beetroot Carpaccio. Speaking of Taj Land’s End, the Atrium Lounge of the hotel is a hotbed for innovative ‘non-veg’ cocktails like the bizarre but genius Bacon-vodka infused martini or the warm Chicken Consomme with Red Label whisky cocktail.
But what’s more interesting is that traditional Indian food too has gotten a much needed luxurious image makeover to be now called ‘Nouvelle Indian’ and to be put up there at gastronomy’s higher echelons of fine dining. A prime example of this trend is Ziya at the recently renovated The Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai. The Indian speciality restaurant that is under the direction of the two Michelin starred Chef Vineet Bhatia, is a fine dining experiment that works superbly. This means that here you will find scrumptious dishes like Hyderabadi aubergine steak filled with paneer and roasted sesame, uttapam lasagne layered with masala paneer and sambhar, and the luscious chocomosa (a chocolate-filled samosa) to round off your superlative meal.
One of India’s greatest connoisseurs of good food the legendary Jiggs Kalra too has chosen to tread the Indian fine dining path (albeit with a twist) with his Punjab Grill restaurants both in Mumbai and Delhi. Unsual and exotic are two words that best describe the edible options at the restaurants that comes up with wonders like the Kurkuri that are wonton rolls filled with mushroom, celery, olives, sun- dried tomatoes and pine nuts, dipped in corn flour batter, rolled in sevian and fried. Similarly a lot of effort has gone into the idea behind the Tandoori Broccoli, where each floret is packed with three varieties cheese, pimentos and olives, the Salmon Tikka and the very audacious, but supremely luxurious Tandoori Duck. It sure looks like its time for Indian fine dining to find a place for itself on the shelf of other stellar world cuisines. A true renaissance of luxurious dining, Indian style!


Experience
As the birthplace of the ancient science of Ayurveda and Yoga, India is a great place and one of the finest destinations in the world that offers a slice of rejuvenation and solace in spa heavens of tranquility and luxury. From mountainous retreats to desert oasis’ of calm, you won’t be hard pressed to find the spa that will not only put the ‘R’ back into relaxation, but also the ‘L’ back into luxury. Undoubtedly one the best spas in India, if not in the world, is the Ananda-In The Himalayas, a Spa Resort that is located in the lap of the Himalayas in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. It is spread over 22,500 square feet of area and provides world class body treatments with a mixture of Ayurvedic and western therapies. Set amongst 100 acres of virgin forest and opened in September 2000, Ananda-In the Himalayas is built around a Maharaja’s palace estate and located 260 kilometers north of New Delhi. Besides the spa, the resort features a restored Viceroy’s Palace, 75 deluxe rooms and suites and 3 villas. Two of these villas are 2 bedroom villas and one is a single bedroom villa, with breathtaking views of the Ganges River and the mountainside.
The Wildflower Hall, Shimla also has one of the best spas in the world that is dedicated to your wellbeing with a pampering session like you’ve never had before. The spa offers holistic treatments based on Ayurvedic, Asian and Western therapies to relax, rejuvenate and inspire. With tranquil views through lush green cedar and pine forests, the Spa Pavilions offer stressed out guests a peaceful haven in which to revitalize themselves both inside and out.
Equally spectacular is The Serai, a luxury resort and desert spa near regal Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Created by the world renowned for luxury spa company Reason d’Etre, The Serai has been drawing in spa lovers by the droves thanks to its extensive menu of treatments. Four treatment tents are set around a little garden and offer treatments designed to meet all needs - whether your tastes favour a rousing or relaxing massage, a foot reflexology or a cleansing scrub. The chemical free products, inspired by the Rajasthani environs, are blended from Indian herbs and spices that are both soothing and healing. Decadence at its best!


Adorn
Be it your body or your home, adornments in Indian luxury are an intrinsic and integral aspect of enjoying the good life. Indian couturiers like Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Suneet Verma and the Grande Dame of Indian Fashion, Rityu Kumar leave out no stops in kitting you out in luxurious, one-of-their-kind wearable confections made from an array of opulent fabrics like pashmina, brocade and royal silk, using artisan embroidery techniques like zardozi, mokaish and ikat to embellish garments with contemporary silhouettes. The latest to join this illustrious bandwagon is Sabyasachi Mukherjee who has just recently opened his first signature luxury boutique in Mumbai which is already seeing a heavy influx of fashionistas thronging its gates for a piece of wearable art.
Jewellery houses like Popley, TBZ, Joyallukas, Notandas have over the years prided themselves as being purveyors of fine jewels and luxurious gems that are often antiques sold off by impoverished royalty that can now be yours. Even the western biggies like Cartier, Harry Winston, Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels are wooing the Indian glitterati with custom made baubles and buntings.
Scoping out that elusive Raza or Husain painting at one of the country’s many upmarket art galleries like Chemould and Pandol in Mumbai or The Vadehra Art Gallery and Nature Morte in Delhi is within the reach of anyone with an ample bank balance. But then again who said luxury was cheap?
Touting itself as India’s first Luxury Home Fashion brand, Maishaa in Mumbai is spread over an area of 1500 sq.ft. This exclusive store is a one-stop solution for all furnishing needs ranging from lavish bed linen to cushion covers to various fabrics for curtains and upholstery. For objets d’art, stores like Good Earth all over India, The Bombay Store in Mumbai and The Home Store in Bengaluru have all you need to kit your home out in style and luxury just as you do yourself. All part of leading the luxurious Indian life we say!

Wander
Train travel and India are synonymous with each other what with the country having one of the most extensive… and efficient rail networks in the world! It is no surprise then that India has some of the most luxurious all-inclusive train journeys you will ever find. India’s first privately managed luxury train, ‘The Indian Maharaja’ is rated at par with some of the best known trains worldwide. It has been included in the ‘World’s Top 25 Trains’ by The Society of International Railway Travellers alongside The Royal Scotsman, Danube Express, Royal Canadian Pacific, Blue Train amongst others. The itinerary brings you some of the best monuments of India. World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri. You will be able to hear the call of the wild in the Ranthambhore National Park, one of the finest Tiger reserves in India and take in the splendour of the Venice of the East, city of Lakes – Udaipur and city of palace and forts – Jaipur.
Another uber-popular luxury train is The Palace On Wheels that has a great package to take in all the beauty of India. The travel package takes you to a vibrating journey to the royal land of sand dunes and regal palaces. Here you will visit the majestic expanse where Royal Rajputs lived in a grand style. Explore this imperial land on the Palace On Wheels, the luxurious train of India that carries with it an intrinsic ambience that goes perfectly well with the majestic charm and beauty spread so lavishly here and there in Rajasthan.
But its not just northern India that you can explore on a luxury train, the Deccan Odyssey train takes in the best of Maharashtra and Central India. The on-board arrangements on this train are by The Taj Group. Similar to the concept of widely popular Palace On wheels, this new luxury train offers traditional hospitality where you can relive the lavish era of 18th century Peshwa Rulers. The seven nights train journey traverses across the beaches of Western India and the Deccan plateau of Central India. You see glimpses of the brave exploits of near legendry 17th century Maratha Warrior King-Shivaji Maharaj. Luxury was never this good, trust us.

(First published in Time'n Style Luxury's August-September 2010 issue)