There’s a famous saying that goes, “Luxury is not a state of being, it is a frame of mind.” At first read, it comes across as supremely profound, informing those of us who do not sleep on sheets made of silk that we too can live a life of so-called ‘luxury’, if only we condition our minds to think that our life, as it is, is luxurious. But then, mull the thought over in your head the way you would roll a button between your fingers, and you realise that the saying is nothing but a cop-out.
Because luxury is, very well, a state of being. It is about large mansions set amidst sprawling gardens, or living in a 5-star hotel every time you go on vacation, or eating at a restaurant that provides you with three forks and three spoons and three glasses. Luxury is about silk and gold, about exquisite views and comfortable cars, about croquet and polo, and most importantly, about tangible comfort in every sense of the phrase.
But simply ranting against that saying was not enough. We needed to prove, to ourselves and others, that true luxury exists beyond the confines of your mind. So we decided to go out there and experience it for ourselves. And a thought emerged in my mind: What better way to experience luxury than through the life of the royalty of India, and what better way to experience the life than the royalty of India than by living in their palaces!
The Indian royalty, as I am sure folk stories and mainstream movies have told you, represent the epitome of luxury. And having decided that I was to experience their life, I set about the business of doing so in just the way the maharajas in the past would have: in luxury, but by road.
My chariot of choice was the new Hyundai Elantra. I am personally a fan of Hyundais, the Elantra was brand new and waiting to be put through the long-distance test, and from a brief, earlier stint in it, I was won over by how comfortable it was.
The first stop: Pink City
To choose the first location of my luxury-exploration drive, I played a small word-association game – I thought ‘palaces’, and the first location that popped into my head, unsurprisingly, was Rajastathan. The grand palaces of Rajasthan occupy a prominent place in India’s cultural and travel scene. While there are hundreds of palaces, small and big, scattered all over the desert state, an elite bunch of them, most of which are currently 5-star hotels, have consistently made headlines.
The first palace we visited was the Jai Mahal Palace, a large Indo-Mughal building set amidst scenic Mughal gardens. It is currently a Taj hotel located in the midst of Jaipur’s hustle and bustle, but somehow still, completely isolated from it.
Jai Mahal Palace, in its 270-year history, has served as the residence of three prime ministers of the princely state of Jaipur. Currently a 100-room, its luxury quotient is obvious from the moment you enter the marble-floored lobby. As you make your way through the cool hallways, your eyes are drawn to the intricate latticework and ornate furnishings that adorn the walls.
