artnlight

The long corridors that form the front of the palace leads to the reception area

The pictures we saw of the Gulzar Homestay is what drew us to the place and gorgeous though the pictures were on the homestay's website, it nowhere prepared us for the real thing. Because how does anybody capture a lifetime of love and care and art that has been poured into this home which was a weekend getaway for the Sikander family? From the verdant settings to the open veranda's with its comfortable wooden benches that invite endless lounging, to the huge living room filled with antique furniture, book shelves spilling with various genres of writing, a lovely window alcove, which you just don't want to move from, the lush greenery surrounding the home, high wooden beamed ceilings, gorgeous woodwork, spacious bedrooms with wide swathes of  light coming in through windows designed to bring in maximum light and greenery from the out, in, this place gives you a feeling of living in a space built to be a very special home. Weathered and well lived in, the details that make a house a home abound, in every facet and corner. For instance, because the Sikanders love studio pottery, outside the veranda is a kiln and the kitchen is full of uniquely hand made studio pottery. One of the kitchen walls displays the family's eclectic collection of handpainted and handmade ceramic plates. One of the unique offerings of the place is the Ceramic Worshops and Residencies that happen from time to time at the Gulzar Homestay.

The property straddles an almost private beach which is bereft of other visitors as it is not visible from the road.

Nothing puts it better than this frame that hangs in the kitchen cum dining area, gifted by a poet who stayed for a while at Gulzar: 

"For letting little frogs hop onto your porch,

For letting a hundred shades of green run amok on your land,

For letting a sliver of stream run its destiny unhindered,

For being one around who a grateful Nature wraps itself,

For letting us into your chalet of a million treasures

Thank you so much"

This is their website & their FB page in case you might want to experience this bliss for yourself. 

One of the best kept secrets of the city of Amer is a 17th century lake ‘Sagar’, which was the primary source of water for the adjoining forts of Amer and Jaigarh as well as the city of Amer and its people. Tucked away beyond Kheri Gate and the Anokhi Museum, the lake can be reached by car and then one can walk around its boundary. More here.

Built during the reign of Raja Man Singh, the lake which is divided into two parts- the Upper Sagar and the Lower Sagar, kept a check on the water table of the region. It was designed in a manner that it was connected with various step wells in the region, which automatically filled up once the ‘Sagar’ had reached its capacity. More here.

Walking ahead we saw the steps down, but Prashant decided to take us on an exploratory trek around Sagar

And we walked up this winding path- actually we didn't walk on the path but on the wall - the views were that much better.