It was a hot August morning in Jaipur as we set off from our city hotel to the outskirts, weaving through streets crammed with cars, rickshaws and bicycles all dodging pedestrians crossing the roads, Years ago I used to cycle here, but those days are long gone. Today, our chunky Ambassador car protected us physically, but not the eye popping wonder at the myriad of colours lining the roads. Market stalls piled high with fruits in front of walls painted in Jaipur chalky-pink. Monkeys ran along lattice worked balconies and stunning facades stirred ones imagination as to what goes on behind. A visual feast. But more was to come as we drove up to our destination, the marvel of Villa Palladio. A charming colour infused hotel, surrounded by hills, hidden up a track leading off the main road. It was as though we had walked into a fairy tale, or perhaps someplace we could find Alice skipping through this wonderland.
A waft of jasmine greeted us as Chitan, our driver, led us to an entrance bursting with colour. Cardinal-red, clay-pink, black and white with touches of green seen in the leaves of the murals about us.
It was still early, and we had breakfast consisting of Italian-style, homemade bread and jam made from figs. Flute music playing somewhere in the distance as we sat on the prettiest balcony, the red and pink walls decorated with Rajasthani painted flowers. We were served by a handsome, turbaned waiter wearing a flourishing moustache seen only in Mughal paintings. My cappuccino was reminiscent of the finest Italian cafe and we agreed our heads were swimming with a warping sense of exactly where on this planet we had we arrived.
At the hoot of a car horn, heralding the arrival of our team, we were brought back to earth. We had a photoshoot to crack on with, photographing our nightwear collection in one of the hotel's colour drenched rooms. Our photographer Abhimanyu, model Sharon and make-up artist Seema, were so excited to work amongst this pulsating combination of colour. We set to work at once, crammed into our assigned room saturated in colour, walls painted with birds, flowers and leaves and filled with glossy red furniture.
The day whizzed by in a whirl of wonder. A location of theatre, charm and glorious creativity. See our photos on line and dream along with us.
As Diana Vreeland once said:
“Red, is the great clarifier: bright, cleansing, and revealing. It makes all colours beautiful.” And it really does.
