Trials and Trimphs

Have you ever experienced how it feels when you see a flock of 50 peacocks fly by you…? Have you ever experienced the beauty of clear night skies in the wilderness of forests with stars and constellations gazing at you than the reverse? Have you ever felt been the closest to nature, earth & yourself? Have you ever witnessed the jaw dropping beauty of sunsets against the backdrop of endless skies, infinity of horizon and amusing forests around? Have you seen peacocks perched and sleeping on trees? You could just do all this and much more just by being at BRIJ LAKSHMAN Sagar. It is not just a hotel, but a journey into the soul of Rajasthan. It was not just a place to stay but a place to disconnect with the outer world and reconnect with my”self” and nourish my”soul”.

Originally built in the 19th century by Thakur Lakshman sagar, this 32 acre boutique hotel property was once upon a time a hunting lodge for the Royals. The architecture silently tells the story and glory of the bygone era. Be it the preserved original heritage of the ” Zanana” mahal with jharokhas, the unique swim pool perched and hand carved out of a single rock on the top of hill or the stone built luxury cottages that bring back memories of good old childhood days of visiting ” mud and stone houses” of villages. Everything in this place is unique, sustainable and eco friendly. The ” zero Km” philosophy makes use of all the natural elements that the place actually stands on.

We often are so engrossed in the endless and mundane routines of our days.. snowed under tasks with our eyes and mind glued to our gadgets to keep our days packed, that we seldom realise our other senses have forgotten what they were capable of experiencing.. and weakened to an extent that we have forgotten what a day could be just activating these multilevel, sensorimotor neural pathways… what it would feel like to giving them individually a “retreat experience”, a treat to your thoughts and mind, and passively witness a “multisensory explosion of joy” just soaking in the beauty of nature.

That’s what we exactly did at Brij! After having an amazing experience at Brij Villas, Dalhousie, we thought of exploring BLS as it was just a slight detour on our way from Jodhpur to Udaipur. Though we knew the google location, we were amazed to see where these narrow winding roads took us to! A pristine beauty, nestled between the lake and mountains.. The staff and crew were amazingly helpful, cheerful and had curated very unique experiences for us. Visiting this place in middle of December, we were welcomed by the warm caretakers, chefs, biologists cum guides who were a bunch of nature loving people.

The food was absolutely delicious and nourishing, from the produce of the farms in the premises.. indulging in food was not just a multi sensory explosion of taste and cultural food practices, but was therapeutic. have you heard of ” food therapy”? Food that nourishes your body as well as mind.. children loved picking their favourite veggie from the farm to be eaten fresh!

We spent the day by the side of the lake , have local cultural experience of being a villager, preparing freshly ground mixes and unique Rajasthani chutneys, enjoyed staying afloat on a kayak, watching the peacocks fly while kids were tirelessly exploring the premise.

The golden hour of the pre sunset time was one of my favourite on this trip. They call it ” Sundowner”. The active biologists here are always on a lookout for places hidden deep in the forests where they can take their guests for a unique sunset / sundowner experience. Unaware of what was kept for us, we were informed by the staff that they will take us for an hour of nature trek cum forest bathing and they will accompany us along to tell more about the flora and fauna. Tania accompanied us and it was a beautiful trek through the rustic terrains of the premises and in the woods, listening to the stories of the past, understanding the importance of these plants to the locals, we were kept company by a few Neelgais (blue cows: Thats what they call in English :)) and peacocks again. After an hour, we reached an amazing plain where the most gorgeous shades of skies and a stunning hues of sunset were waiting for us along with the staff and chef who had reached there already and surprised us preparing some fresh and yummy snacks along with a kullad (pot) of ” garam chai ” (hot tea) .. it was just an overwhelming experience.

Everything here was a ” new and refreshing experience”. The experience of stargazing on a backdrop of clear skies even on a full moon night.. the guides sharing their sound knowledge about the planets, locations, constellations and stories on how these constellations were named..was fantastic!

A “place” becomes a “beautiful memory” when you connect to it emotionally… and it becomes an ” unforgettable memory” when you reconnect with not just the place , but with your “self” through the experiences you had, people you met and how their stories inspired you.. One such inspiration was Mr Ravindraji – a humble young musician from the nearby village. It was hard to take my attention off his music on the first day, though he was not in front of me and was playing soulful music/ flute without a single moment of pause/ break for almost 50 minutes. The music made me get up from my place to look for the artist who so effortlessly and flawlessly, was playing all genres of music for so long.. and I was just so touched to see him, a humble young man, visually challenged and still could tap into the beauty of music so deeply, could see and feel through his soul and could articulate it through his music. He sensed my presence and after completing his song, stopped to talk to me. He shared his story of what he does for a living, how the small world around him was his biggest strength. He was a music seeker, teacher and runs his own YouTube channel, had only learnt classical music and flute for 6-8 months and rest everything through ” YouTube”, has performed at many state level events and heavily supported by his folks, his village, the hotel and nearby places. He teaches many students of all ages online too.. and I was just spellbound and speechless. He holds a dream in his mind to conduct a ” Classical music concert” in next 2 years and is working hard towards realising his dream. Everyday, he would play flute for the guests and himself for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 hrs in the evening. I was humbled by his vision, hardwork and he defied ” limits” in every way.. Sometimes, strangers you meet, teach you beyond words and I found a “lost” shade of my own self through him. Got reminded of what I had read many years ago..” to grow in life, does not always mean to be known.. to grow, is to know your potentials and keep doing your best to become a better version of your self.. just like the rare species of trees growing tall in the deep forests, the precious pearls in the ocean bed.. unknown to the world at the moment, growing to their fullest potential”.

Thats why I love to travel.. sometimes, accidentally, you meet your”self” on the way!!!

Cannot end without thanking them who make Brij stays..unique and memorable – “the PEOPLE of Brij “!!

The Naturalists at the hotel (Tania, Sarthak and Pooja), Restaurant Manager: Jai Singhji (always wearing a pleasant smile), Kitchen staff : Vikram Singh ji, Chef – Dharma, Dhulichand, Ravi, other kitchen staff – Kalu, Vishnu, Balu, housekeeping staff – Bhushan, Jitendra, Kiran, Raju, Kashi always a call away!!
Enjoyed farm tour with Tania and traditional spice mixing with Narmada ji, Peacock feeding with Pooja, Pottering with Diparam ji (Old villager uncle who just didn’t stop smiling), Brij Manager – Mr. Dilip Singhji!

Would just like to say : keep spreading joy the way you do!!! The smallest things you do for guests travel a long way, just like ripples on water!!!

HAPPY TRAVELLING!!

Highly recommended if you are visiting Jodhpur/ Udaipur.

Travel distance from Jodhpur: 2 hrs by road

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