History plays Mannequin

The Sawantwadi Palace Boutique Art Hotel offers a glimpse into the rich artistic and culinary heritage of the family that has ruled the princely state for four centuries.

- ADITI PAI

Today finds an easy reference within the glory days of past tradition at the historic Sawantwadi Palace Boutique Art Hotel. Here, fiercely guarded palace recipes such as sunti gola and keshari maas share space with ramen and croissants in the royal kitchen. Just as heritage art forms such as the Persian-origin ganjifa paintings and lacquer ware find modern expression on night lamps and mirror frames. At the two-month-old Sawantwadi Palace Boutique Art Hotel, currently the only royal residence hotel in Maharashtra, heritage marries modernity in every experience, making the union appear almost seamless.

The ‘rajwada’ is the residence of the Sawant-Bhonsles, the former rulers of the region. The princely state was founded in 1627 and Khem Sawant III built the palace in 1755 using the local red laterite stone home and gave it distinctly European arches. But it was Lakham Khem Bhonsle and his wife Shraddha Lakham Bhonsle, the youngest generation of the royal family, who revamped and re-imagined a section of their stately home as an art hotel. Their training at the Culinary Institute of America reflects in the eclectic menus that they draw up for their guests.

The Taisaheb Wada, residence of the former queens, was converted into a boutique hotel that is a nod to the artistic heritage of the family. “It is a culmination of heritage, art, history and all that our family has supported over decades,” says Shraddha, who spends long hours experimenting with recipes and fanning her love for Japanese and Korean cuisines.

The Art of Craft