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A place to stay

Photos: K. Ananthan

Old world charm The 100-year-old Wallwood Garden, art on the living room walls and the Sun Room

Thanks to a tardy driver, Neemrana’s Wallwood Garden boasts of a Manjit Bawa original in its living room. The story goes that while awaiting his ride he decided to use the living room wall as a canvas to kill time. And of course, it is a 19th Century bungalow with some history. It was owned by a Scottish Major General who named it Blair Athol (his village in Scotland). He sold it to a British couple after the First World War, who ran it as a boarding house and subsequently it came to be owned by tea companies.

One can’t help but feel grateful to the Neemrana people for having taken upon themselves to identify heritage buildings and convert them into places to stay for those who feel something for ‘history and ambience’. At least, it keeps land sharks from stomping out all traces of the past from the face of the earth. Neemrana has its imprint in heritage properties dating back to the 14th Century!

At Wallwood the most difficult decision you may have to make is whether to go for the room with a view of flowers, and the fruit nursery of Sims Park, or pick one with the antique four poster bed (you have to haul yourself up) and loads of ambience. There is something so romantic about telling people to meet up with you at Acacia, or Pine, or Jacaranda, etc. They are the charmingly named rooms and suites.

It is a nice mix of the colonial and the Indian. Ikat bedspreads, durries don’t take away at all from the overall mood. The ‘sun lounge’ is bright, cheerful and serves as an informal dining area with an outdoorsy feel with its tall glass windows and all that natural light, and, the company of buzzing bees. If you prefer to dress for dinner, there is a formal dining room too, gargoyle-carved chairs and all. Also, old fashioned door knobs in well worn brass, paintings of indeterminate age and origin on the walls, fire places, and of course comfy sagging couches that don’t care if you put your feet up. The simple food enhances that ‘non-hotel’ feeling and the staff is unfailingly courteous and smile even after you have requested them for your ninth cup of tea (they have a delicious in-house blend).

The ‘ye olde England’ feeling spills out even on your walks as you meander past long winding drives to fairy tale cottages with names like “Faraway” and “Fairbrooke”.

One has the irresistible urge to rush in and peek into the mullioned windows, all without exception, curtained in lace.

There are any number of drunken paths to tempt you down them, and all the ones we took had satisfyingly spectacular views. And, lying back on the four poster, you can allow them to ‘flash upon that inward eye’…with some tea of, course.

PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

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