JAIPUR'S JETSET - A CHIC PICNIC IN THE KINNOW GROVE

OLYMPIC SHOOTER SHAGUN CHOWDHARY HOSTS AN INTIMATE SOIRÉE AT HER FARM ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE PINK CITY, WELCOMING A MELANGE OF SOCIALITES AND INFLUENTIAL FIGURES. HELLO! MET THE GUESTS, WHO GRACIOUSLY SHARED TALES OF THEIR LIVES IN JAIPUR, REVEALING THE CITY'S MAGICAL ALLURE

- VISHWAVEER SINGH

Nestled a fair distance from the hustle and bustle of Jaipur is Narangah Estate, a quaint farmhouse owned by professional trap shooter Shagun Chowdhary and her family for generations. Kinnow trees bloom here among other foliage, creating a serene oasis in the midst of what is otherwise an arid landscape. Shagun, who has lived in New Delhi for many years, has recently moved back to her hometown of Jaipur and is in the process of rekindling old friendships and making new acquaintances, and parties at Narangah are the highlight of the season’s social calendar.

For her end-of-winter soirée, to which HELLO! was invited, Shagun orchestrated a gathering that drew in much of the city’s hoi-poloi, including a few erstwhile royals, Thakurs and Thakuranis, polo players and fourth-generation jewellers, whose forefathers crafted baubles for Indian Maharajas and Maharanis, as well as personalities like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Empress Farah Pahlavi.With tequila flowing freely, kinnow ripe for plucking from nearby trees, and finger foods keeping the guests satiated, the afternoon felt almost surreal, with bonhomie and mischief at their peak.

Shagun's close friends, who graciously gathered for our cameras a few hours before the celebrations began, included Gem Palace scion Siddharth Kasliwal, jewellery impresario Akshat Ghiya and his art consultant wife Noelle Kadar, and designer/marketing expert Ortensia Kruger. The group made for an eclectic bunch who've travelled the world, but decided to call Jaipur their home at the end of the day.

ESCAPE FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE