What are the first few things that come to your mind when someone says ‘Haridwar’? For me, it was always chaos, loud and dirty. It made me wonder why people flocked there for religious and spiritual reasons. After all these years, I finally understood. Not because I have suddenly seen the light and decided to become religious, but because to me, a relaxing holiday is my kind of religion.
It had been a year since our wedding and the husband and I were in desperate need of a holiday. When he first brought up the idea of Haridwar, I thought he was crazy but when he said he’d heard of a place called Amrit Bhawan, a beautiful boutique hotel right on the water, my ears perked. I was listening. Given our busy schedules and the fact that Haridwar is only a 4-hour drive from our home in Delhi, I conceded.
Amrit Bhawan is an old family home of the Bajaj family, built in the 70s. The property was recently completely refurbished and conserved by Varun Bajaj from the family and converted into this boutique hotel with eight rooms. It is nestled between two active ashrams on either side and the road to reach the property will possibly make you doubt your decision to have come but from the moment you enter you are treated with such warmth, love, and gratitude, and to me, that is a luxury in itself.
‘This is all very quiet luxury,’ the husband remarked as we settled into our room. His description could not be more accurate. On the banks of the Ganga with ashrams surrounding us, a flashy, large hotel would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Instead, the team at Ekat Experience (the people behind Amrit Bhawan) was respectful of their surroundings and beautifully redesigned the home with handloom textiles, local artists, and elements from the city and Haridwar’s famed aarti, peppered through the house. Even some of the swoon-worthy furniture was restored from the original home, giving it that old-world charm. What spoke to me, was that over the three days we were there, there was some element of attention to detail that I noticed every day. This design sensibility is what gets lost in larger properties and chains. Whether it was the fresh pooja flowers they would change every day in every corner of the home, the gorgeous wooden trunk for fresh and wet towels by the river, or the use of the iconic aquamarine colour of the Ganga water throughout the property.
The home is right on the water, with only a small patch of a garden separating the main house from the cool, gushing green goddess that is the Ganga. We happened to go when the Maha Kumbh Mela was in full swing and the news was full of images of filthy water and millions at the Sangam. Here we had our very own private ghat, where the Amrit Bhawan team would host an intimate aarti every evening allowing us to pay our respects to the river without stepping foot in Har ki Pauri. I’m not someone who believes in astrology but when you put two water signs (Pisces and Scorpio) by the water for three days, they’re bound to have a great time. We woke up early for a yoga class right by the water at 7 am (yes, even on holiday!). We would take our French press and coffee mugs in the mornings and sit by the water. They even had a massage room that was practically hanging over the gushing river, so that while you are enjoying a relaxing massage, you can hear the river flowing beneath you, adding to the ultimate luxury experience. Religious or not, there’s something spiritual about staying next to water.
Anyone who knows me knows that my only religion is food. I don’t think either of us realised we had signed up to spend our anniversary weekend in a city with no alcohol and no meat! Not even eggs. But oh, the food, the food, the food. Despite it being vegetarian, we were not left wanting. For dinners, we had beautifully plated kansa thalis filled with a wide variety of fresh local ingredients cooked either in the Kumaoni or Marwari style. For lunch, the menu was extensive – a mix of Indian and international food. I must admit, I was not expecting a beetroot, feta, and walnut salad to be that good in Haridwar! Breakfast was my absolute favourite. They even had their own line of homemade, millet-based breakfast granolas called ‘naastha.’ I’ve seen a lot of these ‘wellness’ hotels serving all kinds of junk on their menus but at Amrit Bhawan, it was the real deal. There was no maida and hyper-processed foods. Everything was freshly made including their whole wheat breads. They even made us a cake when they found out it was our anniversary. It was so delicious that I asked for the recipe only to find out it was made of pure ragi! Food and family eating were clearly important to the family and that was reflected in the menu, the care and thought behind every meal.
We decided to step out only once a day and just enjoy our time on the property. The heart of Haridwar is only a five-minute drive away and we watched the aarti there one evening. For those who are looking for nature and wildlife, the stunning Rajaji Tiger Reserve is only a 15-minute drive from the hotel. The other guests were going on day trips to Rishikesh while we vegetated on the property. Sometimes a holiday is when you can sleep early and do things you don’t end up doing on a regular day basis. I read a full book that weekend.
I’m not sure what I was expecting but all I can say is that it exceeded all expectations. Even a staunch agnostic like me is happy to go back to Haridwar again and again if it means getting a chance to experience the peace, calm, and joy I felt at Amrit Bhawan, again.
