On July 17, 1996 at 4.00am, Steve Borgia had a vision. He had come to Kumbakonam to pick up a colleague when he visualised the setting up of a rural tourism establishment in the area. Steve followed his vision and exactly 100 years after Sri Srinivasa Iyer had built his house in this area, Steve established the Swami Malai resort, starting with this very house and an additional seven rooms. Steve acquired the entire village that had been abandoned in the 1800s and has restored it to become what is now the Swami Malai INDeco resort.
##050216163246-Tamil-Nadu2.jpg##
The resort is ideally located with easy access to Tanjore or Thanjavur, famous for the Brihadeeswarar temple. The resort itself is named after Swami Malai, also known as Thiruverarangan, with the famous temple eight kilometres from Kumbakonam.
One is transported back in time as one enters the resort. The reception area is Iyer’s original house. I am greeted by the welcome drink of tender coconut and mint and a traditional foot massage as I am allotted my room. The Swami Malai resort has 70 rooms now, but no two rooms are alike. The size of the room varies according to the number of guests. The old palace in the village has been converted into several palatial rooms that can easily accommodate a family of four.
My room is a suite, and was perhaps a hut where a family lived. The suite had an outer room that could also have been potentially used for meals and tea. The passage led to the bathroom and then finally the bedroom. A wonderful four-poster bed and wooden furniture gave the room a special feeling. Each piece of furniture has been carefully selected. The room is comfortable with air-conditioning and a flat screen television. A beautiful glass bottle stands on the side table with a note indicating that the bottle contains filtered water and is being used to avoid plastic bottles. The bathroom is again eclectic with a brass bucket and mug, but a hot and cold running shower.
##050216163246-Tamil-nadu.jpg##
I sleep blissfully and step out in the morning for a cup of tea. I meet Steve feeding the geese that follow him in anticipation of their morning snack. After a cup of tea, I am taken on a tour of the property. Besides the lush green setting, the place is a repository of art. Steve is a collector. The reception has an interesting collection of fans. The dining area has a collection of clocks. What is creditable is that each piece has been carefully documented. For the collector, the icing on the cake is the Heritage Museum. The young interns who work for INDeco are well versed with the artifacts in the museum and I was accompanied by Deeptha who is not only knowledgeable about the artifacts but is also an accomplished architect and Bharatanatyam dancer.
Ideas never seem to cease for Steve. Take the example of the Mint Palace. In the 17th or 18th century, the East India Company in Chennai (then Madrasapattinam) was on the lookout for tall buildings along the shoreline where oil wick lamps could be placed to guide vessels coming in from the sea. One such building under consideration was owned by Bansi Lal Rai Bahadur. However, the building was later rejected for this purpose, but the provisions for positioning oil wicks had already been made. The building was called the Mint Palace simply because it was situated on the road that led to the government mint. The Mint Palace was unlike any other building in Chettinad at that time as every pillar and wooden frame was transported from Rajasthan. The Mint Palace was unfortunately demolished in 2010. INDeco, however, acquired every piece of the demolished building and transported it to the Swami Malai resort with an idea of resurrecting it. The process is underway and soon the Mint Palace will be seen in its new avatar as an integral part of the resort.
The dining room is reminiscent of large dining halls from yesteryears. One could also opt to sit out under the banyan tree and continue to look at various artifacts on the property while being served. The food at Swami Malai is a tribute to the region. For breakfast try the Stand Idli with Vada Curry and many more traditional dishes. This has to be topped up with the famous Kumbakonam Degree Coffee. Lunch is a typical Tanjore Thali and dinner again traditional with dishes such as Panchvarna Dosa and Kothu Parotta.
Eighteen villages surround the resort and 75 per cent of the staff is employed from these villages. Villagers come by to pitch in with work that they are comfortable with and are paid for their services. Young girls on their way home from school come by and help with the hospitality. There is a kitchen open exclusively for the locals where they can drop by and have a meal. Tourism is about exploring the unknown. But it is also about showcasing heritage, interpreting it and striving to conserve it. The Swami Malai INDeco Resort has succeeded in doing this and more (www.indecohotels.com).