A ROYAL

REPOSE

The moment you step inside the Maruti

Suzuki Dzire, its cocooning cabin calms

you down. The very next moment as you

begin to move, it livens you up. The car

is a mix of both worlds, and probably

the best one there is. With weeks and

months spent with one, weíve come to

believe that it has a heart of gold. Which

weíre told is not too dissimilar to Fort

Jadhavgarh, where the unique hospital-

ity takes the front seat and makes you

feel at home (or palace, in this case).

Royal hospitality is, as weíre told, sec-

ond to none. And what can be a better

way to find that out in a car as regal as

the Dzire.

Even with skyscrapers and modern

buildings trying to and cover every nook

and corner of the country, itís a relief to

see structures like Fort Jadhavgadh. Se-

cluded from Pune but so well-connected

to its Maratha roots, the 300-year-old

fort is one of the best quick getaways

from the city. Through the urban locales

of Mumbai (where weíre based) and

Pune, we drive to Jadhavwadi (where

the fort is) in a little over three and a

half hours.

Once here, you wouldnít have to look

any further to find peace, delectable

food, and of course the treatment once

confined to royals only. Spread over 25

acres, the property offers a wide variety

of rooms (from royal tents, the taste-

fully decorated Maharani suite to the

grandeur-laden Maharaja suite), fun-

filled activities including an audio tour

of the fort, an external sight-seeing

tour of the vicinity, and even guided

trekking. Our choice of wheels, the

Dzire is luxurious enough to pamper a

royal. Itís good-looking, boasts a long

list of features, and has the charm to

look ageless all its life ó much like the

fortress.

Named after the Maratha general

Pilaji Jadhavrao, Fort Jadhavgadh was

built in 1710. It represents what was the

actual place of residence, and not just

an orgy of carvings and designs. It was

more purposeful, and different from the

usual palaces that weíve seen across

the country. Having said that, it has its

roots intact, be it the woodwork, the

JADHAVGADH’S

GOT A HEART

OF GOLD,

LIKE THE

MARUTI SUZUKI

DZIRE