Let me take you again in time to a more effective technology — the sixteenth century.
For those who have been to go into any Moghul courtroom again then, an a laugh sight would greet you. On scorching summer time afternoons, courtmen would collect round and play a recreation of playing cards, apt for the season. Whilst to the uninitiated eye, it might seem to be a standard card recreation, a better glance would end up differently.
The ‘playing cards’ have been made with ivory and tortoiseshells, as an alternative of paper (often used lately), and bedecked with illustrations of kings atop horses, chariots, royal fits and palaces. The prevailing oblong design used to be then a round body. And the secret used to be ganjifa.
Whilst the Moghuls performed ganjifa to their center’s content material, its recognition waned over centuries, sooner or later most effective closing in Maharashtra’s Sawantwadi — the place you’ll purchase your self a pack of ganjifa playing cards from the native bazaar even now! As the sport misplaced favour in puts the place it used to be as soon as a day by day ritual, the artisans of Sawantwadi tried to keep it by way of studying it from the Chitrakar group, who have been professional in making the playing cards.
As of late Sawantwadi is the one closing position in India the place ganjifa remains to be practised.
The royal couple — Yuvraj Lakham Sawant Bhonsle and Yuvrani Shraddha Sawant Bhonsle — shine with satisfaction as they inform this tale. Their love for tradition is obvious. And the Sawantwadi Palace Resort, a boutique homestay that may be a restored surprise maintaining the ganjifa artwork is a testomony to this pastime.
A keep steeped in historical past
Upon coming into Sawantwadi, the air turns out other. The villages are blanketed with a type of mystique, and historical past will whisper to you from each nook if you’re taking the time to pay attention.
Referred to as the land of the artists, the princely state used to be dominated by way of the Royal Circle of relatives of Sawant Bhonsles. The Sawantwadi Palace used to be constructed by way of Khem Sawant III and its colourful crimson laterite facade is complemented by way of arches that draw from English architectural types.
When the Sawant Bhonsle circle of relatives determined to open their doorways to the general public as a homestay, it used to be sponsored by way of the intent to take Sawantwadi artwork one step forward by way of making it out there to folks from in all places.
“The boutique artwork resort is constructed so that you can enjoy those artwork bureaucracy of their purest shape,” Shraddha says. She and Lakham are the nineteenth technology of the Sawant Bhonsle circle of relatives. They’re united by way of their shared pastime for the humanities and meals (each are skilled cooks who studied on the Culinary Institute of The united states).
As you’re going to see, the revival of the palace quarters and its adventure to a homestay has roots within the couple’s love tale.
“The plan used to be to get married in Goa,” Shraddha stocks. “However, whilst making plans, we realised we had a stupendous palace proper right here. So, we started restoring it and that’s after we noticed possible. It used to be an educated choice by way of the circle of relatives to show a portion of it right into a boutique resort that includes six suite rooms.”
The mentioned portion used to be referred to as ‘Taisaheb Wada’ — a wing devoted to the 5 queens of Sawantwadi. The remainder of the palace remains to be a non-public place of abode.
And thus, the couple were given began — Shraddha’s culinary prowess and Lakham’s herbal intuition for artwork, a mixture that unveiled the misplaced grandeur of the 18th-century palace. For Lakham, the phase he totally loved used to be seeing existence being breathed again into the silence of where he calls house.
“Previously, prior to India were given independence, there was numerous individuals who would come to the palace to satisfy my grandfather. There could be actions occurring, chatter and laughter. However in recent times my circle of relatives have been the one ones dwelling right here. Palaces are constructed for folks. The human power used to be lacking,” he notes.
Beginning the homestay, used to be an strive at bringing it again.
From deciding to revive the palace quarters to web hosting their first visitors in January 2023, the couple recount the four-year adventure to be one of the vital iconic adventures they’ve had in combination. Essentially the most glorious phase, consistent with them, used to be inking friendships with the native artisans of Sawantwadi who have been extremely joyful to be part of the method.
For those who recall the legacy of the ganjifa artwork you have been handled to originally of this story, you’ll be extremely joyful to understand that the artwork unearths its purest expression within the palace resort — within the facades, the decor, the cutlery, the furniture, and the village.
A heat welcome into the palace
It’s astounding how a lot the Sawantwadi Palace depends on the bounty of the village’s heritage and tradition. Proper from the cultural workshops that allow vacationers experiment with the ganjifa artwork to the furniture of the palace.
“Numerous it’s been preserved,” says Shraddha, elaborating at the furnishings and the foundational construction. “On the other hand, we needed to give a boost to probably the most partitions by way of putting in steel planks particularly since there’s an inflow of folks now. We’d like the construction to be robust.”
The couple additionally had fashionable bogs built. However except this, no matter you notice is the unique construction. Taking us on a digital excursion of the room, Shraddha says the decor is an ode to the ganjifa artwork.
“As a substitute of numbering the rooms, they’re named after avatars of Lord Vishnu. The speculation is for folks to grasp the historical past of Sawantwadi. While you input a undeniable room, the entirety from the doorknob to the decor is a paintings of our artisans and has ganjifa symbols painted on them. We’ve inculcated the artwork in bits and items within the night time lamps, the tea trays and in every single place shall we,” she says.
However whilst that is interesting, Shraddha says you must listen the legacy of the furnishings. “Those were made by way of the Sawant Bhonsle circle of relatives of their unit ‘Sawantwadi Lacquerwares’.
Apparently, this may be where the place the ganjifa revival took place.
“When my grandfather-in-law HH Rajesaheb Shivramraje Bhonsle visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, he spotted a label studying Sawantwadi Playing cards. He and his spouse learnt the artwork from the 80-year-old artist Pundalik Chitari who at the moment would make most effective two units of ganjifa a 12 months. They began Sawantwadi Lacquerwares in 1971 to revive and advertise the artwork of ganjifa and lacquerware.”
True to the message championed by way of their ancestors, the couple is insistent on empowering the native artisanal communities thru their advent of the boutique resort.
“We most effective employed locals. We’re at all times instructed that the method would were more straightforward and faster if we had hired architectural companies from larger towns, however we have been insistent that we needed the locals to be an integral a part of the recovery from begin to end,” she provides.
And the couple is satisfied they opted for this. “It led us to find such a lot of fascinating sides,” smiles Shraddha, sharing an anecdote of the way they got here throughout massive stones whilst they have been clearing the bottom the place the swimming pool recently is.
“It used to be a woodland previous. Right through the clearing spree, we started seeing mosaic patterns at the stones, and that’s after we realised those have been if truth be told tiles. In the end, we got here around the first wada our ancestors had constructed.” As of late, you’re going to see those self same stones within the boutique resort premises.
Involving the artisans within the recovery used to be symbolic for plenty of causes.
Lakham stocks that those households have been at all times an integral a part of the circle of relatives’s paintings. However with time, their youngsters moved to towns as a result of higher alternatives. “Convincing those artisans’ youngsters about our dream used to be tricky, however we instructed them what we have been making an attempt to create and so they understood. We additionally promised we’d fit their town salaries.”
Communicate a stroll with royalty
The gorgeous phase about staying on the Sawantwadi Palace is that along side dwelling in royal quarters and witnessing historical past, you additionally get a front-row seat to the circle of relatives’s iconic adventure. The museum is breathtaking.
“It’s extra of a photograph gallery,” Shraddha is inconspicuous about it. Designed by way of Lakham’s grandparents, the gap showcases the circle of relatives historical past and occasions that stood out. “There are footage and tales of sure untold occasions. For example, prior to the massive Dandi March took place, Gandhi used to be if truth be told in hiding at one among our summer time palaces. There used to be additionally a consult with from Nehru. There are coronation pictures of my grandfather-in-law, the closing coronated King.”
The dip into tradition does now not finish right here.
A brief power clear of the palace resort lies the Pinguli village the place visitors are handled to the tale of the beginning of leather-based puppetry. Honoured with a prestigious Padma Shri award, the legacy of the founder’s exceptional contributions stays and his son, the gifted Chetan Gangavane, will in my view information you in the course of the interesting puppetry museum.
One of the most puppets additionally function within the palace resort. Shraddha unearths them a really perfect ice-breaker. “We adore hanging up conversations with our visitors. It is a glorious approach to.”
Some other dialog starter is the ganjifa playing cards and Shraddha is proud to proportion that the circle of relatives has bought the most important number of ganjifa playing cards in all places India. On the homestay, you’ll additionally be capable to attend an unique workshop the place you’ll be told all in regards to the famed artwork shape.
Agreed, there’s a lot to do all through your keep. However, we advise spending a night of bliss within the natural gardens at the assets the place the circle of relatives cultivates their vegetables — chillies, eggplant, fit to be eaten plants and different greens.
The gardens are interesting and you’ll most effective consider why the lunch is a kaleidoscope of flavours, the colors paralleling the wonderful thing about where itself. The Konkan affect is visual in each and every dish and fish is the most obvious hero with curries and fried delights that deliver out its flavour to perfection.
The Sawantwadi Palace Resort is bliss in all its very best geometry. And I’m nonetheless reeling over the truth that I’ve spoken to royalty themselves.
However I will testify that neither the grandeur of the Sawantwadi Palace Resort nor the gorgeous sun shades it turns because the solar units can parallel the heat of this couple who says all they wish to do is dream larger and raise the legacy ahead.
Edited by way of Pranita Bhat