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We the Jojawar family
welcome you to our very special place, and the second property built
after the Rawla Jojawar in the true tradition of Rajput hospitality –
Kesar Bagh.
Though the word ‘Bagh’
literally means a Garden in Hindi, but here in rural Rajasthan it also
denotes a huge Hacienda like property in the country of the once ruling
feudal families. Kesar Bagh is one such oasis where time and weather had
taken a huge toll on the old buildings and the orchards. The rain water
gushing down from the Aravallis Hills in the monsoons had breached the
lake’s earthen dam on the banks of which once stood the old and grand
Kesar Bagh. The present Rao Sahib of Jojawar – Maharaj Singh ji eager to
restore the old traditions of the land and his family, recreated the new
Kesar Bagh right where the old buildings once stood, but incorporated a
few changes seeing to the modern times. Forest is allowed to take over
what was farm and orchard to give the visitor a feeling of harmony and
fulfillment by being in nature.
A stay at Kesar Bagh is a
throwback to the laid back and indulgent life style of the bygone era.
The reversal of time feels so complete with vintage cars taking you for
spontaneous drives, mustached butlers waiting by you in their starched
bush coats, their turban tails flapping away in the evening breeze, the
entire estate with its fruit trees and forest set amidst rural Rajasthan
– and so far, far away from any major roads or development, that one
cannot help but relax and rejuvenate in its charm. The warm sun,
conversation and relaxed sundowners punctuated with impromptu
excursions, is the call of the day here..
Accommodations
With 10 air conditioned guest rooms, each
lavishly appointed with its own balcony and luxurious bathrooms, having
views of the stunning forest covered Aravalli Hills and the surrounding
countryside, satiates your craving for harmony and balance.
Complete the feeling of relaxation here by
indulging yourself in our spa treatments. The Spa is equipped with a
stem bath, Jacuzzi, beauty salon and a gymnasium. Besides, you have
choice of venues for the treatment of your choice – by the poolside, on
the terrace enjoying the views, in the massage room itself or maybe in
the shady grove by the water. We offer international massages with
lovely perfumed oils.
Or just take a relaxed swim in the pool
with its terrace overlooking the hills.
Meal times are celebrations here -
accompanied by the haunting melodies of Ratno Jogi the local devotional
singer who is usually asked to sing all night long at the shrines of
folk deities, or by the gusty drum beats and the uplifting love songs of
a Langa band – a tribe dedicated to music from the deserts of western
Rajasthan, the atmosphere is defiantly vibrant. Added to that are exotic
recipes from the family kitchen like khad murgo or the bajre ro soyhito
(?) – totally unheard of and simply heavenly. A few western dishes are
blended in for those not too adventurous. After dinner coffees or drinks
can be enjoyed on the terrace by the water, where the gentle sounds of
nature take over the musicians entertaining you earlier in the evening.
Sounds of crickets and frogs form a background to calls of Jackal, or
Lapwings rising up in alarm from one dark side of the lake probably at
the sight of a Jungle Cat, or maybe a distant haunting ‘laugh’ of a
Mottled Owl.
Activities
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Return to Nature - Kesar Bagh is
a total effort to respect our environment. All of us here being
wildlife and nature enthusiasts, this ‘effort’ was but pleasure. A
natural forest is allowed to take over the estate creating a natural
habitat although small, to the local fauna, we’ve coordinated with the
Forest and Wildlife Services in planting the estate with grass, herbs,
and trees found in the neighboring forests. The water that the earthen
dam holds after the monsoons recharges the ground water in the dry
months. The building is built on a low technology platform using
recycled wood and stone material wherever possible, minimum machines
were used during construction which was done by local masons and
labour, thereby involving our community in the venture. Built on the
principles of Vaastu, the building makes most of the sun and wind to
control the temperature and reliance on air-conditioning & heating is
reduced. Kesar Bagh is committed to being chemical & plastic free and
we use natural products wherever possible. We source all our food
locally to support the community. A bio gas plant, solar power for
water heating and lighting in public areas has successfully saves
about 35% energy. All this is done in an effort to Go-Green so as to
leave a minimal impact on the surrounding farmland and forests. All
gray water is recycled through soak pits and then used for the garden.
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Wild Life - The 150 acre farm has
been returned to the wild. Wild trees and plants have been planted in
the entire estate in the hope that it’ll create another habitat
although small for wildlife from the nearby Kumbhalgarh Wildlife
Preserve, boundary of which is barely a mile away. The earthen dam is
restored but the height considerably reduced to allow most of the run
off to flow on to the farmlands downstream, but hold enough water to
attract birds, waterfowl and animals to it. The very common Nilgai
Antelope, Indian Jackal, Wild Boar have made the estate their home and
can be seen quite often. The Indian Striped Hyena, or an occasional
leopard make their nocturnal visits to water here. With over two
hundred species of birds in the area, Birders would be enthralled by
the sheer multitude of avian wildlife just within the estate, thickets
in the nearby Wildlife Preserve would further yield rare species like
the Blue Throated and the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, varieties of
White eyes and Red Starts, Silver bills and Prinias are there in good
numbers. Water bodies there host a multitude of water fowl in the
winters and if you are lucky you can even spot the very rare Indian
Skimmer as it gently skims the water surface feeding. One can go
hiking into the forest with one of our staff guides for assistance or
take a jeep to cover a bigger area.
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Jeep Safari - Explore the country
around the Bagh in style in our Chevy 1934 or a vintage Land Rover.
The territory around boasts of very interesting landscapes, with the
picturesque Aravalli Hills in the east, and broken rocky hills
interspersed with farms and scrub forests all around. The Pre-
Cambrian Aravalli Hills are one of the oldest mountain ranges of the
world, and a geologist’s paradise. The camel herding Rabaris are an
ethnic group only to be found around Jojawar. All this makes our Jeep
Safaris the most popular excursion. Our specially designed late
afternoon tours take you to homesteads of these Rabaris, into farms,
through pretty little hamlets where time seems to have stopped, and we
take a break under the shade of a drooping acacias next to a very
beautiful small shrine dedicated to a folk deity – Mamoji, where
terracotta horses are offered in return of divine favours. Some routes
had to be excavated so as to see as much in the given time. Our
endeavor is to make your excursions interactive and not merely a drive
in the country. Unlike any other, our jeep safaris are undertaken in
our own fleet of classic vintage vehicles – which makes the whole
experience very special. Longer rides to your taste and ability are
recommended for people staying longer.
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Train Safari - The train route between the cities of
Jodhpur and Udaipur goes up the scenic Kambli Ghat Pass. One of our
favorite excursions is this daily train service from the station at
the start of the hill section to the highest station in the Aravallis
– the Kambli Ghat station, or the other way round. The engine
laboriously and slowly pulls the train through the most beautiful
forests and hills that you get to see in the state, this one hour ride
is really unique as you even get to interact with the locals who’ll
readily share their seats with you and try their best to make
conversation with you while trying to suppress the surprise and
excitement of sitting next to a foreigner from far away lands! The
drive to and back from the stations in your resplendent vintage Chevy,
taking a break for tea and cucumber sandwiches at a tiny Forest Rest
House. The entire excursion is escorted by one of our staff guides
who’ll fill you in with all the stories and legends of the land, and
if you are able to dig deep - even the latest gossip going around his
village.
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Horse Rides - We are proud owners
of several prized Marwari Horses – this indigenous breed of the desert
is endowed with sublime beauty and an honest and a bold spirit. Known
in the annals of history for its magnificence and loyalty onto death
to its master – it was the true Rajput warrior battle charger. It was
capable of ripping through the enemy with the same fiery energy as the
Rajput warrior he was carrying. Individual horses have saved their
injured and unconscious masters by taking them out of the battle to
safety in spite of being mortally injured themselves. These horses
were as famous as the people who rode them. Even today one feels the
hot rush of blood in his veins as he mounts a ‘Marwari’. Riding one of
these legendary steeds from our stables is a way to get into areas
where no vehicle can go, accompanied by one of us family members you’d
not only be guided but introduced to the land and its people. Half a
day to Full day rides are recommended to the visitor. We specialize in
organizing long distance horse rides of 2 to 7 days.
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