Arts Reverie charming haveli in Ahmedabad

 

Arts Reverie is set in Dhal Ni Pol, one of the several pols that line the wall city of the Ahemdabad, weekend destination from Mumbai. Its one belongs to the Jain jeweler but has been brought up by Ahemdabad based author and art critic. It was 11 pm when I reached the pol house with my colleagues; we went for a workshop and heard about it. The two storied white havelis with green and blue windows, carved pillars and white walls, in some parts with red is easy to spot. However it was recently restored as the paint was fresh and it was the only building in the pol with a large white sculpture of two warriors on their horses, located on the roof and there was one emblem of the power that jeweler’s family once wielded. The walled city is the perfect place for any artist looking to history and ancient architecture for inspiration. The buildings around may be decaying but they were telling the stories when Ahemdabad was controlled by the traders and merchants, who constructed many of these embellished and carved havelis.

Unlike other hotels, it has no lobby. From the courtyard, I took the wooden staircase with a trap door, which has to be pushed open to enter the first level. A veranda was converted into a functional lounge or a common meeting space. Then there was a white wall with jeweled pattern of neckpiece, which was drawn by an American artist, forms the backdrop for a small library filled with books on art, travel and architecture. The furniture was basic a long table with wooden stools, topped by cushions. This is where we had dinner and watched television along.

It had three floors, on the ground level was the office and the kitchen and on the first was three rooms and the second had mosaic floored terrace, bedroom and an exhibition space for artists. The bathroom, a large all white space is common to all the rooms. Well ventilated, the havelis had 25 windows, some opening to the courtyard and others to the road side. My room was in soothing blue and white. Everything about the hotel was heritage as there were large teakwood cupboards, the wooden beds, the mosaic patterned flooring and the jharokhas that hide either a wardrobe or another door behind them. Oil lamps were lit every evening when the sun sets. We were able to view the other homes from the terrace. Meals were simple but varied my dinner consisted of rice, dal three kinds of vegetable some salad and a delicious khajur raita. In breakfast there were fresh juices, toast, butter and jam, poha or upma, slicers of fresh fruit and the dhokla. It is a strict vegetarian cuisine as the havelis is located in Jain cluster. The havelis also had world space radio and a WI fi environment.

Evenings are the best spent at arts Reverie, that’s when Dhal Ni Pol comes alive to the sounds of boisterous kids playing gali cricket and aunties gossiping on street corners.

Art Reverie is an art residency a retreat for artists, arts critics, filmmakers and writers, where they can stay for weeks or months.

Look for Driving Directions for Arts Reverie.