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Romantic Getaways - India |
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NIGHT IN A MAHARAJA'S BED India's desert state of Rajasthan is home to luxurious former palaces now transformed into romantic resorts. A maharaja's suite is a dream come true... Imagine a night in a maharaja's palace. The scent
of incense gives the room an atmosphere as exotic as its surroundings. A
small fountain gently splashes in the sitting room. In the bedroom,
antique carved furniture sets the mood for a romantic evening. This is Rambagh Palace where, like other lucky travelers, we learned that you no longer have to be a maharani to enjoy a night in a maharaja's suite. Today this expansive palace, located outside the city of Jaipur, is a grand hotel welcoming guests from around the world. Located in the state of Rajasthan, Rambagh is filled with the rich history of the Rajputs. First a home for the queen's favorite maid, the building later became a hunting lodge and guest house, soon renamed for Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. As a young prince, his grandson later came here during its days as a private school and in 1925 Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II made Rambagh a palace in the grandest sense of the word. Our arrival at Rambagh was heralded, literally, by trumpeting elephants and regal camels. Groups can arrange for these special welcomes truly fit for a king. Riding high atop a caparisoned elephant decorated with flowery designs, we rode to the palace like a maharaja and maharani. Dismounting, a woman in a richly colorful sari met us and placed a tikka, the auspicious red dot, on each of our foreheads. We were draped in marigold garlands while, at our feet, a marigold pattern welcomed us. While Rambagh may today be a hotel
rather than a palace, it is certainly still royal. Located on 47 acres,
the sprawling edifice stands like a cool beige mirage, surrounded by
five gardens. Colorful peacocks strut across the manicured lawns, small
birds take shelter in the mandarin orange bushes, and small monkeys
skitter across the lawn, eager to grab a piece of succulent fruit. Today many of the royal rooms function as guest
rooms, thanks to the palace's conversion to a luxury hotel. Among the
most lavish rooms are the Prince's Suite, complete with a fountain, the
Maharani Suite, a romantic dream in rich red brocades and a canopied
seating area; and the Maharaja Suites, two adjoining rooms in a simpler
style and showcasing, appropriately enough, a king-sized canopied bed.
One of the most unique suites is the Sheesh Mahal, highlighted by
thousands of cut glass pieces around the ceiling and on the walls, each
glistening with reflections from the cut glass chandelier.
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