Sonaar Haveli is a boutique hotel which is lovingly curated by Bhim Singh and his daughter Madhuvanti Singh. They have over 5 decades of experience in travel and run Rajasthan’s most respected travel company called Rajasthan Tours Pvt. Ltd. This 8 roomed property has a good traditional and contemporary blend with an open courtyard, marble fountains and flooring, antique wall hangings made from zari and sequins and state of the art facilities.
Feeling famished, I headed for dinner to relish some Rajasthani cuisine at Anaar Bagh which is the indoor air conditioned multi cuisine restaurant located at the lobby level. Mahaveer Singh, General Manager, Sonaar Haveli recommended I try the dal bati churma which is prepared in the authentic traditional way. It turned out to be extremely delicious and I savoured it with ker sangri, gatte ki sabji where gram flour dumplings are steamed and cooked in a gravy, papad ka saag, mangodi where gram dumplings that are dried and stored for a few months are cooked in a traditional Rajasthani gravy, bajre ki roti made from millet flour and sumptuous gajar ka halwa.
Sonaar Haveli has an Ayurvedic treatment room called Om, sitting lounge and bar named amal (amal in Rajasthani refers to opium) where beer and wine are popular. Chaar Bagh is the outdoor dinner setting ideal for candlelight dinners, watching the sunset, royal cenotaphs and the former residence of the royal family of Jaisalmer which has now been converted into a hotel.
For vegetarians, there is finger licking paneer tikka, hara bhara kebab, vegetable seekh kebab, shahi Kadai paneer, Jaipuri bhindi masala where okra is cooked with spices and onions and baingan ka bharta where roasted aubergines are cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices.
For non-vegetarians, the highly coveted dishes include mouth-watering chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and smoky flavoured maas ke sule which is tender lamb marinated in 11 spices, laal maas, bhuna gosht and butter chicken. Don’t miss jungli maas that is prepared with mutton, clarified butter, salt and chilli flakes and sand dune chicken curry which is the boneless chicken in a thick masala gravy prepared Jaisalmeri style.
The travel desk at Sonaar Haveli organized my itinerary and guide. I explored the Jaisalmer Fort which is a living fort and a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Harish Giri, my knowledgeable guide who was fluent in Hindi, English and French. I awed at the intricacy of Patwon ki Haveli and Nathmalji ki Haveli before soaking in the vast expanse of Gadisar Lake. Paying homage to our martyrs at the Jaisalmer War Museum and going back in time at the Akal Wood Fossil Park ended my memorable trip to Jaisalmer.
Sonaar Haveli
124-125 Ramgarh Road,
Jaisalmer-345001, Rajasthan.
info@sonaarhaveli.com
www.sonaarhaveli.com
Khursheed Dinshaw
