No Bad Apples Here

In the heart of Srinagar, The Lalit Grand Palace serves up the best of the Kashmir Valley

- Rumela Basu

 As I poured some honey into my cup of fragrant kahwa in the outdoor dining area of Srinagar’s Lalit Grand Palace, one of the hotel staff said, “Gandhi and Maharaja Hari Singh had a conversation under that chinar. You will be able to see it better in the morning.” The Gandhi chinar held pride of place here, and the next morning, I agreed that the chinar deserved all the attention it got. In all its verdant summer glory, the tree was magnificent, maybe just a tad more than its counterparts standing around the sprawling lawns of the heritage hotel.

Built in 1910 by Maharaja Pratap Singh, the property was later handed over to his nephew and successor Hari Singh who converted it into a heritage hotel. Beyond a walkway flanked by fountains is the reception area with an elaborate khatambandh, a traditional Kashmiri ceiling made by fitting together small pieces of carved wood. The original palace remains largely unchanged and it has come to include the Chinar Garden restaurant and the hotel’s heritage wing. In the Maharaja and Maharani suites, vintage four-posted beds, mahogany writing desks, and wood-and-carpet accented libraries open to views of sinewy safeda trees along the Dal.