Deo Bagh, a luxury heritage property run by the Neemrana group near Gwalior, is not just a weekend getaway for city dwellers. Owned by Sardar Dhananjayrao Jadhav and his wife, Uma Raje, of the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior, it is a beautiful throwback to the magnificent days of yore.
Gwalior is not the typical ‘bucket list’ kind of place. A small town, as busy as any small town allows it to be, ensconced by hillocks and famous cenotaphs (for instance, that of the legendary Mian Tansen) and temples here and there. The weather is primarily on the hotter side and no, it might not be the place to get away from the city din.
That’s why when you are taken to Deo Bagh, you are in for a real surprise. Bang in the middle of the city, the lush and expansive lawns, genteel gardens,guava and grapefruit orchards, natural foliage, cobbled pathways and heritage architecture transport you to a different realm altogether. In short, a verdant paradise for the frayed city nerves.
A winding pathway surrounded by mustard fields takes you to the entrance of the original property that used to be a garden palace of Uma Raje’s husband’s ancestors—the jagirdars of Aaron and Myana, one of the main Maratha chieftain families. Individual cottages are built beside each other and open up to the lawns through balconies and sit outs. Manicured flower bushes and gardens are home to squirrels, birds and colourful butterflies. We are welcomed by the gracious Ranisaheb Uma Raje Jadhav as we set foot in this ancient property. As we sit down for tea with the former professor of economics and a freelance journalist, she gives us tiny anecdotes about Deo Bagh’s past.
This story is from the November 2016 edition of Hi!BLITZ.
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This story is from the November 2016 edition of Hi!BLITZ.
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