A cool evening breeze drifts through the village of Delwara and carries with it the sound of bells, of chanting, of children laughing and playing cricket in the last light. Up above the village, in the grounds of the fort, a flautist is playing. Beyond the Aravali hills the sun is setting and as its pink glow fades the night sky darkens to reveal the constellations. At Devi Garh every night ends this way; a conspiracy of perfection.
This eighteenth century fort palace is a recent addition to Rajasthan's impressive roster of heritage hotels, though to describe Devi Garh as a hotel hardly does it justice. For 250 years it has perched on a rocky outcrop, commanding one of the three main passes into the valley of Udaipur. The carefully restored chambers and passages of the old palace are now games rooms, a bar, a library. Alcoves high up in the palace walls double as romantic private dining areas. In fact, guests can dine almost anywhere they fancy within the palace; surrounded by the original calligraphy on the walls of the old meditation room, under a starry sky in the janana courtyard, in a private jharokha on the rooftop verandah or down by the green-marble swimming pool.
In fairness, it is perhaps more appropriate to describe Devi Garh as an experience. And it begins almost as soon as you arrive at Udaipur airport, when one of the palace's drivers unburdens you of your luggage and ushers you into his immaculate limousine; one of India's ubiquitous Ambassadors, though this vintage specimen is a world away from the taxis of Bombay. The bodywork gleams, the dashboard is inlaid with a walnut veneer and the interior is smartly upholstered. There's a drinks cabinet and multi-deck CD player with remote control and a playlist for passengers to choose from: a musical journey from Hari Prasad Chaurasia to Oasis, via Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.
This is typical of the Devi Garh experience; a synthesis of traditional India with modern concepts of style and comfort. The result is captivating. Each of the 15 suites inside the palace is designed within the original architecture of the building so that each one has a unique layout and its own theme. But consistent throughout all of them is a restrained, elegant design; simple white walls and floors, lots of natural light and the scent of fresh rose petals infusing in brass waterbowls. This minimalist approach to the interiors draws attention outwards to the serene beauty of the Aravali hills and the arid landscape that looms large through the plentiful windows. Cocooned inside the thick, stone walls of this ancient fort it is impossible to escape tranquility.
What guests to the palace see today is a far cry from what Lekha Poddar saw when she stumbled across the place during a Rajasthani road trip over a decade ago. Long since abandoned by the present king, it was a crumbling, bat-infested ruin that had suffered 30 years of indignity. Curious villagers smashed a hole through one of its sturdy walls to get a look inside and looters plundered many of its remaining treasures. With its guts ripped open, exposed on a crag above the semi-desert below, Devi Garh's bright yellow walls faded in the baking sun, and so too did its ancient power to dominate the landscape around it. But when Poddar first set eyes on the palace she saw through the decay to the building's heart; its immutable dignity. And a good thing too.
Over 200 local workers and craftsmen spent the first two years of renovation clearing the building, peeling back its skin like plastic surgeons. They saved as much of the building as possible, kept original walls, floors and ceilings when it was safe to do so and rebuilt with local materials - marbles, hardwoods and semi-precious gemstones - where necessary. The restoration has gone far enough to recover the building's former glory and to make it safe, but it hasn't gone too far. Exploring the palace, up and down its numerous stone staircases, through its corridors and verandahs, there is still much evidence that this is an old building. The king's original bed chamber is almost completely intact, with a tiny entrance - apparently to prevent assassins rushing in, swords raised - and walls decorated with mirrors and gems and ancient script. But on a wall outside there is the remains of half a painting; left as it was found even though recreating the missing half would have been straightforward. The palace has been rescued, but it has not had its character scrubbed away.
The complete restoration took 10 years and millions of dollars, every cent of it well-spent. Guests at the hotel today will find all the amenitities expected of a modern, luxury hotel. The swimming pool is spectacular. Its fresh water is cooled by green marble and on three sides swimmers and sunbathers alike can enjoy unobstructed views of the surrounding hills (and the setting sun), while on the other side the palace rises above. Tents at each corner provide shade from the desert sun.
The main restaurant is up above the pool and enjoys panoramic views over the surrounding area. In the evening silver cutlery and plates are laid among fresh flower petals. Some nights the whole show will move to a different location, down to the verandah below or in one of the courtyards. The chef might treat you one lunchtime with gourmet versions of the food prepared by India's chatwallahs, the street vendors. Whatever it is, wherever it is, it will likely be delicious. The menu caters for all tastes, Western and Indian, vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
There is a conference room with silver-plated chairs and mirror-work walls, which can be lit up at night by dozens of candles and scented with sandalwood and flowers - perfect for hosting an event or just for a private group meal. The palace is a popular venue for upmarket Indian weddings and it's easy to see why; with its myriad courtyards and verandahs Devi Garh provides endless opportunities for tailoring a totally unique, utterly dramatic event.
There is a billiards table hidden in one lonely corner, though amid the silence of the palace the clacking of pool balls seems unusually loud. No matter; guests in need of spiritual healing can avail themselves of numerous ayurveda treatments in the spa. This traditional Indian therapy is applied by the palace's dextrous practitioners and involves a range of massage techniques using fragrant oils, herbs and other authentic remedies that have been distilled over the centuries. Ksheera shanam is a speciality: a massage with milk and honey followed by a relaxing soak in a marble bath. In another treatment guests are wrapped in linen infused with medicated oils and then massaged in what is described as "a special rhythm".
For those who miss their more familiar urban routine there is a gym with all the usual contraptions, but the countryside around the palace provides ample opportunity for much more rewarding exercise. There are bicycles available and plenty of hills to walk among and sights to see. Just five kilometres away is the eighth century temple complex of Eklingji, boasting 108 Shiva temples built of sandstone and marble by Bappa Rawal, founder of the Sisodia clan. A couple of kilometres past this is Nagda, a cluster of temples with intricate stone carvings set beside a lily pond.
Devi Garh's history, and the history of the entire region, is steeped in the Rajput resistance to the invading Mughal armies and, most significant, Maharana Pratep's legendary battle against Akbar at Haldighati in 1576. The pass in which Devi Garh now stands was of crucial strategic importance in the struggle against the invaders and, after Haldighati, Pratep gifted the principality to Sajja Singh in return for his loyalty and bravery during the battle. And in the 1760s one of his descendants, Raghudev Singh II, built the yellow fort palace of Devi Garh there.
The site of the battle of Haldighati is just 30 kilometres away - a good bike ride for the adventurous or a short journey by car. Guests can also tour the area by camel or horse, visiting one of the local lakes or the Michele farm. Day-trips can be arranged to any number of beautiful spots. Udaipur, the ancient capital of Mewar, is less than an hour away. Further away is Jaisamand lake, a vast artificial lake built in the seventeenth century and surrounded by Summer palaces, pavilions and a wildlife sanctuary. Ranakpur is a collection of Jain temples renowned for its 1,444 exquisitely carved pillars, each of which is unique.
The village of Delwara, at the foot of the palace, is poor and primitive by Western standards. Pampered guests could be forgiven a certain discomfort as they dine on braised lamb shanks with raisin and saffron couscous, served on a table strewn with chrysanthemum petals and washed down with a 1996 Margaux, while the villagers who live in the shadow of the palace struggle to find sufficient fresh water and lead lives that seem little improved by the wealth flaunted above them. A stroll about the village is a good remedy. Here the traditional people of this land, the Rajputs, live alongside Muslims and Jains and several tribal groups, each with their own distinctive temples and modes of worship. The deep well just outside the palace gates used to be a spot for ritual bathing, with steep steps leading into the water. Now the water level is deeper than anyone can remember; 20 feet beneath the last step and all but useless. Years of poor monsoons have hit the area hard. But the poverty of these people, stark as it is, is tempered by the smiles and the laughter that fill the village's streets. The generosity of the people is quite humbling and worth discovering. Set against the riches of the palace, this richness of spirit is just another extraordinary facet of the experience.
Nothing could underline the contrast more than a few nights in the palace's crowning glory: the Devi Garh suite. For $1,100 a night guests can take both the Devi Garh and the adjoining Aravali suite to ensure the ultimate experience; the two suites are designed to complement each other. One is themed around the male energy of the god Shiva while the other embodies the female energy of the goddess Devi. Between them is a private swimming pool of black marble, a jacuzzi and a pavilion that looks out over the village and the hills.
There are eight more suites surrounding the garden and, during the peak season of October to March, there are six shikhar tents with en-suite marble bathrooms. These are the cheapest options in the hotel at just $150, but that still buys you the freedom to enjoy the palace and to be seduced by its timeless ability to enchant whoever walks within its walls. All in all, it's pretty hard to oversell Devi Garh. Stretched out on plump cushions, with a gin and tonic in hand, overlooking the awesome, rugged countryside from a balcony perched high up in the palace, it is difficult to imagine a better place to be. Or eating a Mewari curry on the petal-strewn tables while looking out over huge marble boulders in the lower courtyard, the village beyond and those same hills in the distance, as if the restaurant, and you yourself, were a seamless part of the land all around it. Devi Garh is indeed a special place.
