Thursday, February 13, 2014

Rajakkad Estate - Dindigul, Palani hills

The fragrant Dianthus and Arijit Singh's voice as I sit here happily getting embalmed in the memories of a beautiful travel...


Searching for something in particular and drifting away from it and finally landing up somewhere else:)- it has always happened to me. Search Engines do a wonderful travel therapy by not letting us move an inch and already we would have travelled  miles away..isnt it? It was that  kind of a day when I did a virtual


 travel to Munnar:)- searching for places to stay and landing up in "Rajakkad Estate". Falling in love at first sight:)- Not realising how many hours to drive, I had already fallen in love with this place. The traditional looks, the courtyards, the ambience, the simplicity and warmth of the place struck a chord.. I would repeat it a hundred times..if I ever build a house it would be in terms of this concept of flowing and connecting spaces. This Concept based on the Great Master Architect, my inspiration  "Geoffrey Bawa"!

Time for travelling during summer vacations has always been kept aside. This time it wasn't different either. A long tour which started from Trivandrum to Kochi and ended in the Palani hills.. Beautiful ghat roads through the tea estates, rains and finally the forests, winding paths and then on to Kumily, Thekkady and finally to the plains of Tamilnadu, Theni and then up the hills of Palani. The trip could have been planned from Trivandrum  via Madurai  and then to Palani Hills as well. That would have taken less time and effort. But the landscape is quite different the former way. The rains were a constant phenomenon during the travel and so we enjoyed it much more than usual.

No words is enough to describe a place like that.. You have to see it to believe it.. The Rajakkad Garden Estate. We indeed travelled, drove lots and were really tired by the time we started the climb up the Palani Hills. We were travelling for nearly nine hours at a stretch by the time we started climbing and were quite unprepared for the climb. Hesitantly we made calls to the hotel and were informed we were on the right track and then we needed to climb:)-At first there were growing shrubs and then the forest thickens and thickens.. Not even a person in sight and not even a vehicle on the way and then suddenly there wasn't any space for another vehicle also.. And then finally after a drive of 45 minutes we started passing through clusters of houses and then saw the board "Manjelparappu". We turned left and through the stony path we drove through the coffee plantations and  we reached the place. It left us astounded and amazed seeing the beautiful traditional structure atop a small hill. I really couldn't believe when they said this building had been rebuilt for the third time here. Its traditional architecture, the wooden pillars, the Mangalore tiled roofs, the simple black oxide floors, the Samarkand Carpets and so much more... The eye for detailing is evident. Of all the things what I loved most was the courtyards.. two of which were filled with water, fishes and plants.. exactly the one in my dreams.. am i a dream chaser.. i think so:)-

Rajakkad's Pallam Palace began life in a very different environment. It settles now with quiet authority upon its hill, having found its way here. Twice dismantled, twice transported, twice re-assembled, a living testimony to its wondrous construction.

Rajakkad would not have taken quite the same path without the considerable input and sensitive eye of Pio Coffrant, of the Rose Hotel, in Delhi and the exuberant spirit of Agathe Gaillard, who has established the Maison Rose, in Pondicherri.(Text courtesy... hotel site)


We lazed around.. lying on the green grass, went for endless walks.. yes with a ten month old in hand.. thats the spirit.. Thoughts of going to the close by Kodaikanal were there in the mind.. but we didn't budge from there. Scared  of losing a minute there and also the sight of light falling in the courtyards.. I just sat with my camera :)-can you all imagine..






interiors
light as you enter

reflecting pools


outdoors


flowing spaces

of Mangalore tiled roofs

the view


open courtyards



flowing spaces and corridors





cool granites


terracota floors

inside out from the room
  
black oxide floors and shadows

bamboos ..and colocasias




thoughts of Geoffrey Bawa

shadows and reflections


the detailing on the doors


courtyards and plants


from our room...

the room 

twinkling fairy lights


thoughts of coming back...pensive thoughts



Images and Ideas Conceived ...Lakshmi Arvind
Please don't copy images or use them in other sites without permission..

7 comments:

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  2. Loved the plants in the courtyard urn.... so calming....

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  3. love the decoration of the small palace. Room Furniture looks really classy nice color and ambiance.

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  4. The estate is much attractive and thanks for sharing.
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  6. another wow post.. absolutely beautiful..

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