Kaner Retreat

    A plate of food is a story! It is the story of people, culture and above all love. The best meals that we have had are more than ingredients.  Growing up in a desert, I realised that you never have the problem of plenty. Things are scarce and preservation is the order of the day. You only get greens in the winters and you try and save some for the summers. If this is the situation now, I wondered what happened when there was no transport bringing the greens and other vegetables - how did people survive? My research led to the discovery of famine foods and the plants that helped in the survival of the people during long spells of droughts. At Kaner we have managed to create micro habitats where we showcase the plants that were and are used as famine foods. Each plant is a protagonist in the story of the Thar Desert. We tell you the story of these plants through the trails at the retreat, and you can sample some of the plants in the cuisine. Over the years, innovations in agriculture

While designing the villas at Kaner, I took a trip down the memory lane and revisited my favourite places that I came across while growing up in Jodhpur. All of them had a feeling of 'space' and it was created through expansive verandahs and cool courtyards. We have tried to recreate that same feeling of space by introducing a quaint courtyard where you can lounge in privacy. The other memory I have is that of the feel of stone. The texture of the local Chittar Stone and the cool, silken touch of Marble are still fresh in my memory. Each district in Rajasthan has a stone that is like no other. You have the yellow Jaisalmer Stone, grey Kota Stone, white Marble from Makrana, Granite from Jalore, pink Chiitar from Jodhpur and the dark brownish-pink from the nearby Balesar mines. You can spot most of these stones at Kaner.  I have also dug into my love for art, antiques and textiles while designing the Kaner villas. The rooms at Kaner are a celebration of an eclectic style that mix

  I spent my childhood on a small farm in the Thar desert. It is not easy for things to grow and blossom in the desert.     You have to wait for everything in the desert. Tiny seeds stay dormant for most of the year, waiting for the perfect day to break into roots and shoots. A small shrub may take 20 years to become a tree. Flowers blossom once a year.    And, the longest wait is for “Meh’ or the monsoon.  It is the reason why peacocks dance, women sing songs on the swings, and saffron and cardamom infused delicacies are created to celebrate the arrival of the monsoon or “Sawan”. The air gets heavy with the smell of Petrichor and everyone seems to be dancing on the short-lived verdant carpet of grass.    My life back then was connected with the plants, animals and the culture. The folk music and the language weaved it all into words to be etched in my mind forever.   Then I moved away, first to Delhi and then to London covering stories as an international journalist. It was like a pla