The main pool at Mihir Garh
“Royal families used to support artists. Now it’s tourism that keeps art and tradition alive,” says Avijit Singh, the director of India’s House of Rohet group of small luxury hotels. He’s speaking about his family’s ancestral home, Rohet Garh, their city hotel in Jodhpur and their most magical tourism endeavor so far, Mihir Garh.
The hotel feels like a primeval fort in remote Rajasthan, the kind of place that’s risen from the sand since forever. But just two decades ago, it existed only as a dream. The site, atop a dune in the windswept Thar Desert, was once a picnic site for guests of Rohet Garh.
When Rohet Garh’s popularity took off, the family realized their desert dream. Their Fortress of the Sun rose with the efforts of more than 100 artisans. They spent more than two years constructing every detail from the murals in the dining room to the mirror-mosaic fireplaces that grace many of the rooms.
The temple courtyard at the entrance
The nine eco-friendly guest rooms are enormous, each around 1,700 square feet, and have unheard-of desert luxuries like plunge pools and open-air Jacuzzis. Their decoration was largely chosen by Avijit’s mother, Thakurani Rashmi Singh, and it leans toward rich colors, opulent dark wood furnishings, carved headboards and elaborately patterned rugs, all produced in the region. The bathrooms, with their curved surfaces and smooth floors and walls, seem to have been fashioned from the sand itself. In fact, it’s a special plaster technique known to only one craftsman in the region.
The whole thing is a paradox: contemporary comforts in one of the most tradition-bound corners of India, sumptuous accommodations within a barren land, creature comforts in the middle of the wilderness. A cooling dip in the pool as a respite from the relentless afternoon heat, and a cozy snuggle beside the fire as the darkness chills the desert night.
Avijit Singh, whose grandfather led the family into tourism, grew up at Rohet Garh, studied at École Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and worked for Indian powerhouses like Oberoi and Taj. He returned to the family business with a slew of ideas, including aiming for inclusion in Relais & Châteaux, which Mihir Garj achieved in 2014.
One of the guest suites
Relais & Châteaux prides itself on many things (charm, character, some other C’s), but a clear case of Mihir Garh’s brand compliance is in its cuisine. The kitchen turns out a wide variety of international and Indian dishes. The way to go, of course, is the local fare: traditional Rajasthani delicacies—curries, biriyanis, dals—and family recipes from Avijit’s grandmother. The formal dining room is just a suggestion; guests can also dine in their suites, on the rooftop or anywhere else on the grounds.
While it’s tempting to simply lounge and eat, there’s much to do at Mihir Garh. Its signature excursion is the Village Safari, whose name, I admit, concerned me. I’ve seen too many of the human-petting-zoo products that pass for village tourism in much of the world.
Thankfully, no such thing happens here. The visits, to traditional enclaves with elaborately mustachioed men and red-veiled women, and to rural communities with mud-walled homes and Brahmin villages with the caste’s famous blue buildings, are based on the owners’ personal connections. Guests are invited into homes—of shepherds, Brahmin farmers and weavers—as friends of friends. Tea is shared. Questions are encouraged and answered.
A Village Safari
Experienced riders can interact with other animals as well, as Rohet Garh and Mihir Garh share one of India’s top equestrian programs. Avijit’s father, Sidharth Singh, is a passionate advocate for the region’s native Marwari horses—recognizable for their funny little curved ears—and serves on the board of the All India Marwari Horse Society, which brought them back from near-extinction. (Apparently the British weren’t fans.) Mihir Garh offers rides at sunrise and sunset, as well as multi-day treks with luxury mobile camps that have running water and flush toilets.
Otherwise, this being luxury India, there is always something delicious to eat. Mihir Garh sets up private Royal Picnics underneath an ornate tent beside a small lake. Even more theatrical are the Shikar Diners, a tradition from the days of the Raj, in which food is slow-roasted underground all day and served in the starlight beside a bonfire. Rajasthani folk musicians are brought out to play, and a camel cart rolls up for the ride back to the hotel.
As for Rohet Garh, which is a short drive away, it makes total sense that it housed the actors and crew for The Darjeeling Limited. It’s easy to imagine Wes Anderson and company cavorting on the grounds. Officially classified as a Heritage Hotel, it’s one of the finest in the country, with a large courtyard with sprawling lawns, manicured gardens, strutting peacocks and pavilions around a swimming pool. Nearly everything in the lounges and 34 guest rooms is original, from the polished silver to the family portraits enlivened with gold leaf, some of it going back four centuries.
The main gate to Rohet Garh
And the final piece of the collection is Rohet House, an eight-room oasis in Jodhpur. It was also designed by Thakurani Rashmi Singh in the family’s Art Deco residence, which was built in 1969. It’s made of Jodhpur sandstone and red ochre and centered around quiet gardens in a 50-foot-long swimming pool. The rooms are filled with decoration by local artists and more botanical murals.
Archival photos are hung alongside one of the staircases, including images of one of the great-grandfathers, who was a champion polo player in the time of the Raj. Mihir Garh may be relatively new, but the family’s commitment to hospitality and heritage is not.