Food and archaeological trail to Himmatnagar November 2019
April 19, 2020
Purpose– FEA Preferred Bloggers and Home Chefs were invited for lunch at Dowlat Villas Palace – The Heritage at Himmatnagar. Himmatnagar was the capital of the Maharajas of Idar – a Rathore Rajput dynasty that shares its history with the Rathores of Jodhpur.
Schedule
We started in the morning for the journey to Himmatnagar. In this bustling municipality, Dowlat Villas Palace comes as a surprise with its sprawling grounds in the heart of a residential neighbourhood. This palace estate is divided between three sons of Maharaj Umed Singhji – Bhagirath Singh who married a princess from Nepal, Ranveer Singh whose wife is from Jambughoda State and Narendra Singh whose wife Nirupama Devi was from Uttar Pradesh. We went to Dowlat Villas Palace – The Heritage which is run by Narendra Singh and his son, Karni Singh, as a homestay. This impressive palatial property has a huge portico leading to the hall which has walls spanned by royal portraits and historical photographs. After Narendra Singh introduced us to the history of Idar State and the city of Himmatnagar, he walked with us to the garages where he houses his fleet of vintage and classic cars. With great enthusiasm he showed us his cars most of them imposing American models and some of the automobile-related memorabilia in his collection.
Near the garage his son Karni Singh took us to see their mango orchard which has the Idar Ratna mango, a variety specially grown for Maharaja Himmat Singhji around 1915. After seeing some more of the family collections, we were guided to the elegant dining hall for lunch. Nripuma Devi (who hailed from Kotla, passed away in January 2020) and her daughter- in- law Geetanjali Kumari (from Dera in Uttar Pradesh). The meal was delightful showcasing the history of the family – Pichle Aloo from Kotla in Uttar Pradesh, Laal Maas from Jodhpur, Smoked Chicken in White Gravy, Dum Gobi and Makai ki Saag which are the family specialties, Dal in the style of Idar State, sweet Missi Roti from Karauli, Rani Nirupama Devi’s signature sauces, house special Pumkin Halwa, Maas ka Achar, and other dishes. After the scrumptious lunch, Karni Singh took us for a drive to the Khed-Roda Group of Monuments including seven 8th-9th century Hindu temples built during Gurjara -Pratihara or Rashtrakuta rule and a stepwell. Rambling among ruins and monuments we also enjoyed the rural countryside with its farms, butterflies, tree pies, drongos and francolins.
We were back for a sumptuous high tea before starting back for Ahmedabad.
In January the passing away of Nripurna Devi made us feel melancholy remembering the right royal treatment by the family at Himmatnagar.
Trail Leader
Anil Mulchandani is an independent writer from 1992. His articles have been published in more than 50 publications, including most of India's leading newspapers, magazines, inflight publications, newsletters and journals. Largely known for his travelogues and food articles, he has also covered diverse subjects like the arts, handicraft,enviromental and social issues, social development initiatives, industry, innovative entrepreneurs, architecture and interiors, sports, among others, Anil is the author of many internationally-published travel books, including guides to Kerala and Southern India, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other states. He has also written coffee table books and commemorative volumes for industry associations and government organisations. He is also a food critic and author of food guides. He has lectured on heritage, eco-tourism and culture at many seminars. conferences, workshops and symposiums. He is also a tourism or food committee member of many associations and industry organisations. On 12th July 2017 Anil Mulchandani launched the social media group called FEA - Food Entrepreneurs Alliance that connects more than 1500 people in the food and hospitality industry to each other for common causes. He has started the Innovative Food Entrepreneurs Associates, a social enterprise with Dilip Thakker, Rohit Khanna and Darshan Rawal who are co-admins of FEA. He was awarded Best Travel Writer by Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Gujarat's 50 Golden Destinations, a coffee table book authored by Anil Mulchandani for Gujarat Tourism, won the national tourism award.
