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Welcome to
Chandra Mahal Haveli. Chandra Mahal Haveli
is a 19th century heritage property, in a little village called Peharsar.
Peharsar is about 150 kilometers from Jaipur on the Jaipur - Agra highway
and is nestled little before Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
It is well situated for visiting Bharatpur
Bird Sanctuary, Fatehpur Sikri, Alwar and Deeg and is easily accessed from
Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.
Tucked away in a quiet village, Peharsar, lies the majesty and grandeur of
Chandra Mahal Haveli. It was built by Nobles of Emperor Akbar in 1699, who
conquered Peharsar in all of three hours, (a pehar), from where it
gets its name.
The Haveli reflects the magnificence of the Moghul architecture of
that era even to this day. The Haveli, like most medieval palatial
complexes, has a central courtyard with a marble fountain, and numerous
balconies, thus optimising the interplay of sunlight and fresh air coursing
through it.
THE OLD TOUCH
Considerable renovation and refurbishing has been carried out to restore the
Haveli, in fact the name is itself a later addition. The best thing about
the rooms of the haveli is that all the care has been taken to keep them as
traditional as possible. To top it all, you don't miss out on any comfort or
any modern facility.
The rooms are small, basic but
comfortable and decorated with local fabrics and the walled garden ensures
complete serenity. The best time of
year to visit is October to March.
Peharsar is very well located on the tourist circuit. You have easy access
to places like Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and of course the Keoladeo Ghana Bird
sanctuary. Apart from these well known spots there are several lesser-known,
almost obscure places that make for interesting excursions.
The village presents a lifestyle, which so many of us city dwellers have
never experienced - the pace, the images, and the ambience. It certainly
makes for a relaxing change and yet one runs the risk of romanticising and
drawing a few oversimplified comparisons. Places like these are usually very
popular with foreign tourists as with Indians.
What is today a sleepy little village is said to have once been a
flourishing commercial centre. One obvious result of prosperity was the
building of havelis, or large medieval houses. Today, most of these
are desolate, crumbling structures long past their days of glory. Evening at
the Haveli is a peaceful, romantic affair, with a few rustic tunes thrown in
to liven things up.
A new morning, a new beginning, a new quest as the peacocks sang an ode to
life, I set out for another journey............ |
