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Relics of the colonial past

Sprawling compounds, high ceilings, spacious sitting rooms, antique furniture... Government guesthouses come at purse-friendly prices

PHOTO: MOHAMMED YOUSUF

OLD WORLD CHARM A view of a guesthouse

Some years ago, while driving down to Mumbai after a vacation in Goa, we decided to break our journey mid-way at the temple town of Ganpatipule.

Not really knowing much about this coastal getaway, we called up the local PWD office and booked a room at the guest house there, hoping to get some basic accommodation. But as we followed the directions of the locals and drew up to the beach, a charming, turn-of-the century bungalow emerged into view. Only a boundary wall separated the sandy grounds of our two-storeyed rest house from the beach.

We were taken to our `room' upstairs by the caretaker. This comprised a bedroom almost as big as my entire apartment back home, an equally spacious sitting room with French windows and a bathroom the size of a modest swimming pool. There was also a dining room, with one of those long tables, which could seat an entire schoolhouse.

Dinner served in style

A tad intimidated by our surroundings, we quickly deposited our luggage, which looked so small in this vastness, and headed for the Ganesh temple, which is the township's claim to fame. And then, for a gambol on the beach. Later, as we sat on ancient chairs in the open compound, watching the sun retire for the night and the stars beginning to prick the velvet sky, the caretaker emerged again, this time doubling as khansama and steward, wanting to know where we wanted dinner served. We opted for the outdoors, and were served in a style that transported us to the days of the British Raj.

The next morning, we were presented the bill. A princely sum of Rs. 200. Our romance with government guesthouses had begun.

Charming relics

Strewn across the country, be it the hippest tourist destination or the as-yet unexploited getaway, are charming relics of India's colonial past. Set in sprawling compounds, these buildings, with their wide verandahs, white-washed walls and high ceilings draw you into a world that hasn't changed for the last 100 years, even as everything around it has metamorphosed.

The ancient fans suspended on long stems from false ceilings, those long reclining chairs, that massive chest of drawers are all of vintage value. But unlike the posh resorts where such ambience is recreated after combing antique markets, in these guesthouses, they come more naturally. For they've always been there. Almost as old as the buildings themselves, in some cases. There are some concessions to modernity, like electric geysers in bathrooms. But mercifully, vacation poopers like television sets are a rarity on these premises.

Even the process of booking accommodation is quaintly archaic. When we wanted to book a suite at the Mahabaleshwar guesthouse (constructed in 1884, and originally serving as summer Raj Bhavan for Bombay Presidency), we were told to send a money order of Rs. 200 to the Pune PWD office. No online booking or faxed receipts here.

Built originally for the officers of the British Raj, on temporary stays in the course of their official travels, most of the guesthouses still serve that original purpose. The bureaucrat from Mantralaya, the MLA on tour, the officer on survey duty, are those whom the guesthouses officially serve.

But they've also evolved as wonderful accommodation for tourists. Of course, you need some government connection, however tenuous, to book a room, though in tourist savvy states like Kerala, where they are run by the Tourism Department and not the PWD, rules are a lot more tourist-friendly.

One of the most charming guesthouses in Kerala is at Munnar, comprising a lovely bungalow, with several cottages on a terrace, overlooking it. The one at Peermede, a lesser-exploited hill station in Kerala, is even more fascinating. It was once the summer residence of the Travancore royal family.

Indeed, almost every guesthouse comes with its history. The one at Mukteshwar in Uttaranchal is a tourist attraction in itself, for Jim Corbett had stayed there when he came to kill the maneater of Mukteshwar. And if you are staying at a guesthouse under an ancient caretaker, you are sure to be told of those bleak winter nights when he's heard voices of people long dead. Just the right dose of spookiness to get you into the back-to-the-past mood.

The British did have an eye for beauty. And most of their guesthouses are testimony to that taste, situated as they are, on some of the most coveted real estate in every town. So while in Kothi on the way to Rohtang Pass, you can stay in a guesthouse that's perched on a ridge overlooking a valley, at Mahabaleshwar, we enjoyed our private sunsets from one of the best viewpoints, away from the gaggle of camera-crazy tourists so intent on capturing the moment that they miss it completely.

The guesthouse at Matheran, a hill station near Mumbai, came heavily recommended for the culinary skills of the caretaker-cum-cook. In these remote places, you've got to place your meal orders as soon as you check in, for the shopping of fresh ingredients is done accordingly. And while you won't get your butter chicken or Chettinad pizza here, the simple aromatic fare is your best introduction to the local culinary culture.

Some days ago, a friend fresh from a holiday at some swank seaside resort, gushed, "The resort was so lovely that we didn't step out even once during our vacation." I feel the same way every time I step into a PWD guesthouse, too.

REKHA BORGOHAIN DIXIT

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