Rustic Luxury and Slow living in Rural Rajasthan - Lovelifeandstyle

Lakshman Sagar is without doubt the most incredible, beautiful, relaxing hotel I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. I know that is quite a remarkable statement to make but I honestly felt a million miles from reality there, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Lakshman Sagar is part of the Sewara Slow Living group, a secluded resort set around a private lake and a 19th-century hunting lodge in Raipur, rural Rajasthan.

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate this extraordinary swimming pool, cut out from the side of a mountain. It doesn’t get better than this.

With 12 beautiful cottages spread over 32 acres along a man-made lake, each mud and stone cottage offers privacy in a stunning, serene setting. Influenced by indigenous Rajasthani architecture, the rooms are designed with luxurious simplicity in mind; striking designs coupled with quaint, rustic touches. The private plunge pools offer spectacular views of the lake where you’ll hear all kinds of birds and see wildlife rustling around in the trees. I spent hours lounging on the day beds reading a book, having a little snooze and cooling off in the pool; blissful living.

The cottages are also quite large and come complete with a rustic bathroom and a bright lounge area with views over the lake. It is the perfect setting to relax, reconnect and just live in the moment.

We stayed in Room 5 which I highly recommend as it’s not too far from the restaurants but offers privacy in the perfect little setting. You’ll need to walk down steep steps to reach the cottages so it’s probably not best for children or those with disabilities. Read more

Live Performance by Mahadav Cometo & Barmer Boys at Lodi - The Garden Restaurant

Amarrass Records next edition of concerts at Lodi features a double bill with MAHADEV COMETO (India/Switzerland) and BARMER BOYS (Rajasthan/India).

Mahadev Cometo's Psychedelight Show will combine the stunning audio visual expertise of Al Cometo on Sitar along with emerging tabla player, Rajneesh Tiwari, with Jean Luis Gafner on Live Visualization, and Bertrand Si ert on Mix and Electronic Sounds. Rajneesh Tiwari is trained in the Banaras Gharana tradition by the legendary Pandit Chhotelal Mishra. This brand new east-west fusion of musical forms a brave and unique live interaction of Sitar, Tabla, EFX and Electronic Soundscapes. An experience that surpasses the boundaries of classical as well as electronic forms is the essence of the ‘Pyschedelight Experience’. Curated and supported in India + Switzerland by Real Networks along with various independent professionals and cultural organizations such as Pro Helvetia, Planete Mars Production, Gatecrash, Littlei and AudioPervert.

The global ambassadors of Rajasthani folk music, Barmer Boys are back in Delhi after rocking Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh and a hectic summer of touring in Canada and Europe, with shows at Winnipeg Folk Festival (Canada), Harbourfront Centre/Toronto (Canada), Music Meeting/Nijmegen (Netherlands), Electronik Picnik/Groningen (Netherlands), Distortion Festival/Copenhagen (Denmark), Mother India Festival @ Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin/Germany).


WED, 25 NOV | show time: 9:00pm - 10:30pm
TICKET: Rs 500/person
RESERVATIONS +919818743232

LODI - THE GARDEN RESTAURANT

Opp. Mausam Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, Delhi 110003, India

Fit of quintessential luxury, every diner needs to experience — Lodi - The Garden Restaurant

For starters the place is brandished for romantic dates and lazy brunches and lives up to the expectations by throwing itself on you with its view of the attached Lodhi Gardens. For people who don’t know about the Lodi Gardens; the iconic gardens are known for its monuments and streams adjacent to very own posh frequent visit of the elite, Khan Market. On the very first glance you notice the hanging lights and the carts paving your way into the open air restaurant with the host expressing her delight as she expected to see us in the evening.

Upon entering and finding us a perfect spot offering assistance in ordering, the service hints towards diligent knowledge. The First two suggestions which were happily accepted, sesame coated deep fried scampi prawns with sweet chilli relish ( INR 525) and pickled chilli stuffed with goat cheese and thyme mousse (INR 395) was a good start. Where the prawns were fresh and gave a good lead for a bland palate, the goat cheese and the subdued pickled chilli and goat cheese did delight with the rich creaminess. A good start.

We ordered cold fumes ( INR 225) a good kick of ginger, lemon and orange with lime, however on the sweeter side with a dash of Vodka and cool buzz a non alcoholic fruity buzz of blueberries which added the balance to otherwise heavier starters.

Delightfully moving with the Poached Pears salad with goat cheese with melon and olive oil dressing (not mentioned on the menu but a seasonal addition) was crisp and dressing spoke volumes of chefs research on the balanced dressing of a classic English salad.
From the salad and keeping in the mind the fresh produce for the menu concept the next on the table was the catch of the day, touted as exquisite, we were served a bassa fillet (INR 895)(this is the widest farmed catch hence the idea of exquisite is not the most convincing one) with capers and lemon sauce, nothing special about the prep nonetheless did contain the taste and flavours of a fresh fish and capers sauce, and did lack a bit of texture.

The fish was followed with soup of the day, asparagus soup with roasted garlic and walnuts which chef had forgotten to offer before the fish. asparagus soup(INR 365) — tasting of fresh vegetables, was buttery and garlic would have ensured asking for a refill however the walnuts smelled a little too funny and restricted a second serving.

However the dining experience peaked with the mains with fresh rosemary quinoa with butter nut squash and seasonal veggies ( 695), Pumpkin ravioli in burnt butter and sage (INR 595) and braised lamb shoulder in rosemary and red wine jus served with the peppers and egg plant grilled on sides. The mains were prepared with the sworn oath of recipes followed with utter discipline. Where quinoa retained its texture, the vegetables added crunch and a lot of moisture to the otherwise granular preparation. The ravioli had internalised the sage and burnt butter combination, adding a lot of country side flavours to so far polished city meal. The classical moroccan braise had great texture and mutton did offer itself in tender form however the wine and rosemary jus could have used more seasoning. The Grilled pepper and egg plant was tastier than the lamb.

We have had satisfied ourselves with the meal so far and with already full stomach were contemplating to whether to go or not for the desserts. The manager did manage to convince us(fortunately) by confessing his love for the Almond bread pudding with fig ice cream and toffee sauce(he pops a piece every now of then of the pudding himself) (INR 395) And Fresh Fruits in orange liqueur and whipped cream (INR 295) Where the pudding was balanced and not overtly sweet the toffee was warm to compliment the creation perfectly. The orange liqueur shone bright between the fruits.
Well we do recommend people to add this amazing garden restaurant on their list of special dates and times when they would love to experience the time tested recipes and a setting which is one of its kind.To read more

Amarrass Nights at Lodi with The Lakha~Madou

Amarrass Records is thrilled to present THE LAKHA~MADOU PROJECT that brings together two ancient desert instruments - the sindhi sarangi (in the hands of the master and living legend LAKHA KHAN) and the kora (the African lute harp, played by 71st generation Malian musician MADOU SIDIKI DIABATÈ). In the hands of these masters, a never-before-heard combination of instruments weaves a magical tapestry of soundscapes. A very special project, the seeds for which were sown at the first Amarrass Music Festival in Nov 2011 in New Delhi (when the two met briefly and collaborated on a jam with Vieux Farka Tourè and Barmer Boys).

Lakha Khan is the undisputed master of the sindhi sarangi, a 27 stringed bowed string instrument from the Indian desert state of Rajasthan. At 68, he is a living legend, described as "a real treasure" (Songlines). Madou, from Bamako, Mali is a virtuoso of the kora, a 20 string African lute harp and in his hands the kora "sounds not of this world at all. His rippling, harp-like arpeggios and dizzyingly complex interlocking melodies seem to descend on warm wings from a yearning heaven of billowing, fragrant heat." (The WIRE: Adventures in Modern Sound Magazine).

“How fabulous of a collaboration is this” - New York Public Radio
"The Story of Malkauns" featured on the World Music Network July 2015 charts

AMARRASS NIGHTS @ LODI - THE GARDEN RESTAURANT
WED, 04 NOV 2015 | show time: 9:00pm (doors open at 7:00pm). TICKETS: Rs 500/person