Ananta Spa and Resort in Ajabgarh brings in the best of slow travel in the desert state.
It’s a poetic cruise, with scarred rocks, wiry shrubs and the sandy terrain filling my camera lens as my car makes its way across the desert landscape fringing Jaipur in Rajasthan. A few spurts of eyepopping colours in the traditional leheriya worn by the rustic women carrying water pots, and grass stacks, or shepherding small children off the road break the monotony of the almost monochromatic scenery. And then my destination arrives: Filled with dancing peacocks, rambling greens and earthy villas…all either darting or arranged across 30 acres of lush in the middle of the desert: My first visit to Ananta Spa and Resort in the tiny town of Ajabgarh, located at a three-hour drive from the Pink City.
The nodding leaves, cool breeze and the call of the peacocks fills the air. My heart begins to sing already, whipped by the urban ravages of Mumbai.
My precious Earth Villa skirts the lotus-filled pool, with its roof joined in the form of a namaste, moving upwards at the clear blue skies, as if seeking the blessings of the gods. It’s a quiet notation that spells peace. Fringed by the fresh green grass of the Bamboo Lawn, my earthy villa brings in a skilfully secluded space. Spread across two levels of spacious elegance, with a robust wooden staircase leading to the loft below the high ceiling that ushers the natural light in during the day.
“I wanted to shape a planet-forward space,” shares Ashutosh Goyal, the third-generation powerhouse behind Ananta Hotels, as we meet for a walkaround of the property. His rainwater harvesting initiative, Ananta’s own bottling plant, ongoing commitment to planting 50,000 trees a year in and around Ajabgarh, and a plastic-free goal by 2032 underlines the ethos of the wellness grove rather succinctly. It is decidedly a different anthem. “I believe in carving my own trajectory: we opened a Balinese style resort in Pushkar years ago, to offer an international experience to our guests in India. In Udaipur – dubbed the City of Lakes, we moved towards the Aravallis range instead to bring in an experience of the hills in a stunning property. At Ajabgarh, we want to popularise this quiet location that lost its glory years ago to infamy following the curse inflicted on the Bhangarh Fort,” he explains.
Ananta Spa and Resort brings in its unique wellness anthem. I begin by savouring the traditional Rajasthani thaali at Oasis, the all-day restaurant at Ananta Ajabgarh. The king-sized thaal comes dotted with a plethora of local specials prepared in ghee: in the seasonal kher sangri, nagori methi paneer, cashew gravy, dal pancham, lassan ki chutney, mirch ke tapore, missi roti, and three brilliant types of churma as part of the daal-baati churma experience. I relished the gulab ka churma and kesar ka churma in hungry mouthfuls.
With the spa rooms and the pickleball courts in the making, the wellness experience at Ananta Ajabgarh for me was defined by the joy of little things. Golden solitude in which I could hear the fruit plop on the grass as it fell from the trees, the buzzing of bees, planting my own sapling, attending the early morning session of aqua yoga in the expansive blue of the swimming pool, sipping the zero-alcohol Sobriety Sips as the colours of the setting sun filled the skies, participating in a chakra healing workshop and an energetic yoga session followed by a block painting workshop…and listening to peacock calls as they tore through the silence of the night. It felt surreal.
The hands at Ananta are primarily locals, and conversing with them lends me an insight into the heritage of the region. I make my way to the ruins of the Bhangarh Fort, at an hour’s drive from the resort. With my guide regaling me with tales of the wicked sorcerer who tried to marry the erstwhile queen forcefully, and the aura of pervasive black magic that envelops this historical site post sunset according to folklore, to folding my hands in reverence at the ancient Shiv mandir on the premises, seeing hundreds of monkeys chitter-chatter, leap off the roofless remnants of house of the forgotten kingdom of Bhangarh to soaking up the chants at the old Hanuman mandir at the entrance to the Fort as the sun traced silvery gleams at twilight when I exited the area: it was a fulfilling experience.
As I walked along the green pathway to my room, the birdsong and waning sunshine filled the air. The traditional local dance in the garden together with the lavish dinner, and a leisurely swim in the quiet pool bathed in the light of the Ajabgarh moon wrapped up my quick getaway to this oasis of calm. This one is a must-do. Been here, yet?
