Not Far From The Madding Crowd

Posted on | July 12, 2009 | Comments

I confess.

I am a miserable failure when it comes to taking breaks.

The Ruling Party, I suspect, has a better track record than I have.

Nevertheless, on an inspired note, I took last weekend off.

Yeah, I know – Do. Not. Laugh.

But this post is not about me.

It is about the place I visited.

Barely an hour and half long drive from Bengaluru airport is a small resort.

Kuteeram.

Kuteeram abuts Nrityagram – a residential dance school founded by Protima Gauri.

The school, by the way, has a story of its own.

Coming back to the subject – Kuteeram is a lush green spot, a little away from the mayhem called Bengaluru.

Kuteeram spells nature, ethnic architecture, dance, music and meditation.
With a generous serving of greenery.
If you look up Kuteeram on the net, you will find this:

“Kuteeram offers modern day amenities and design cues imbued with a rustic, earthy feel like ancient cave art, ethnic furniture, original works of art, and murals adorning rock-hewn walls.”

Pretty much there.

We parked ourselves in a lovely little cottage with a rear balcony that overlooked endless greenery – broken by occasional splashes of color thanks to bright yellow, red and pink flowers.

Chef Mooga (at least that is what his name sounded like) conjured up one stunning meal after another.

The menu is set – you can of course choose between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

In fact, the menu is handwritten before every meal – the dishes change as per availability of vegetables and ingredients. The Chef proudly informed us that all the vegetables are grown on the property.

Well, we didn’t complain at all.

The Spinach soup, amongst other vegetable dishes Chef Mooga stirred up came as a delightful surprise.
I can say that because my daughter, the carnivore, was spotted sampling his vegetarian concoctions eagerly.
And that, let me tell you, is a very rare sight.

For me, the lamb chops were to die for.

The food is light, let me assure you.
You will find yourself looking forward to the next meal in no time at all.

Kuteeram is a very quiet place.
There are only 9 cottages/suites, so don’t expect a crowd.

No cement has been used in building the place, we were told.
Stones, rocks, limestone were used.
I think that is probably why there is a ‘cave’ sort of feel to the rooms.

We spent an hour in the evening at the Dome.
It is acoustically designed.
Start humming as soon as you enter the dome.
Now walk towards the center.
The moment you reach the central spot, your voice will fill the dome.

It serves as a meditation hall.
Sometimes, it seems, dance performances are also held there.

But the high point of our stay at Kuteeram was something else.

The fireflies.

We spent a long time simply watching them dance delightfully in the dark.
I think I saw them after eons.
And it was a first for my daughter.

Simple pleasures that no modern day city can offer.

Then there was that little aside.

Mr. Magician, duly invited by the hotel staff to entertain the kids.

Mr. Magician had a name that was too tough to remember or pronounce.
And he was, he proudly proclaimed, the runner-up at the International Gili Awards – the high point of his career.

He won the same thanks to two ace tricks

1. Producing a 100 odd nails from his mouth.
2. Producing endless fire and smoke from the same source.

He performed both the tricks, much to the delight of the kids.
And he taught them a simple trick before leaving – which was actually a basic lesson in the principles of water and pressure.

The whole thing was charming in its simplicity – the man, the act and the ambience.

The next day belonged to Mr. Potter – a man who refused to speak a single word of English or Hindi – yet who successfully gave us lesson in pottery.

He took charge of the wheel while we made little clumsy pots – those masterpieces have come back with us and are waiting to be painted.

Kuteeram is a Taj property, without the hangover of a typical five star.
And that, in my opinion, is the best thing about the place.

While a lot that I have eulogized here comes from the fact that I went for such an outing after many moons, the fact remains it is a place you must visit, if you get the chance.

No network reaches the resort, barring a spot or two.
It is extremely affordable as well.

Most importantly, Kuteeram urges you to slow down.
And that was the single most important thing I brought back with me to Mumbai.

For starters, to get to Kuteeram, click HERE.

P.S. I forgot to add. Kuteeram is a non-smoking resort. They don’t serve liquor either.