For You

Once upon a time, this handkerchief of a princely state hosted regal balls and entertained the who’s who of the great Indian aristocracy. Today, re-packaged as a Neemrana “non-hotel, hotel”, Pataudi palace – a grand haveli, really – offers a feel of its silk-and-jacquard past to ordinary mortals like you and I… on a silver salver! Corridors lined with yellowing photographs; jungle cats “at a halt” overlooking billiard tables and marble stairways; high ceilings, columns, chandeliers… It’s as it unseen, they hand you a time machine with the keys to your room!
Named after the illustrious members of the Pataudi clan, each room has its quirks – a reading room, summer sit-out, or even an old-world brocade pankha on the ceiling. Walk barefoot on the grass or take a dip in the pool, while the children paddle about. With every change in the sky’s color, you can while away the hours watching the palace change its pace – which birds scuttle around all morning on dewy lawns; a game of pool at night caps the day with a flourish.
It’s barely an hour away from Delhi. So pack your bags, binoculars and children in the car and head out to live life king-size.