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The Mela Kothi – Chambal Safari Lodge
History:
Jarar has been the main seat of the family since 1472. The Mela Kothi and its stables were built in the late 1890s by Rai Saheb Ch. Suraj Pal Singh, the Zamindar Saheb (feudal chief) of Jarar, as a small field camp. Nestling in the midst of over 120 acres of woodland and pasture and surrounded by farmland, in 1915 the Mela Kothi was found to be ideally located to serve as a camp office for the family’s bi-annual cattle fair (Mela).
For over 85 years the male members of the family would descend upon Jarar for a period of 15 days in March for the larger of the cattle fairs. The Mela Kothi served as the residence of head of the family whilst the junior members would each have their Swiss camp set up encircling the Kothi. A motley crew of over 300 people toiled (and partied) to make the event a grand success, including 30 people who worked in shifts to run the fancy German generator that had its own set of rooms. The clockwork precision, guarantee of safety, amenities (including an office responsible for distributing earthen pots and sweets), entertainment, talent shows, shops, and the revenue generated were a source of great pride and prestige for the family. However, by the 1990s the income from the fair had dwindled to the point of being unviable.
The Eco-lodge:
In 1999 Rai Saheb Suraj Pal Singh’s great grandson, birding enthusiast and conservationist Ram Pratap Singh, gave the Mela Kothi a new lease of life when he and his wife Anu decided to turn their inheritance into an eco-lodge. After decades of neglect, the Mela Kothi was meticulously restored and rechristened the Chambal Safari Lodge. Set within 35 sprawling acres of the original heritage plantation surrounded by the family’s farmland, the Lodge is an oasis of peace, tranquillity and gracious hospitality. Ram Pratap and Anu provide a warm welcoming environment with their young son Sumer officiating as 'chief naturalist-in-charge'!
(Find out more about our conservation profile and eco-friendly practices) |
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Our Accommodation:
The accommodation combines the warmth of local homes with the comfort of modern amenities. Every effort has been made to make this lodge as eco-friendly and sympathetic to its surroundings as possible. The Chambal Safari lodge offers twelve rooms.
The restored Mela kothi has two large well-appointed bedrooms with front and rear verandahs and access to the library across the pebbled courtyard. The period furniture and furnishings bring alive the stately grace of this heritage building and provide a tantalising glimpse into an earlier era.
The Imli Kothi, the new guest wing of the Mela Kothi, has two very spacious and luxurious suites with private enclosed gardens and verandahs. The suites combine the finest of modern amenities with the charm and elegance of traditional period features.
The property is further split across separate cottage blocks within the woodland surrounding the main house. Each of the eight independent cottages has a sit-out/ verandah opening onto the farms or the woodland. The twin bedded en-suite rooms are comfortable, colourful, airy and spacious. Large windows allow fresh air and natural light into the rooms whilst the sloping roofs with canopies add warmth and charm. |
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Electricity:
The Lodge is located on a rural feeder line and the electricity supply can be very erratic. Generators deliver complete back-up in the mornings and evenings. We provide solar lamps and torches (flashlights) and candles in all the rooms. |
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Water:
We have running hot and cold water. There are hot water geysers installed in all the bathrooms. Our water source at present is deep bore wells at 220 ft and 440ft. Although showers are available in all the bathrooms, we recommend bucket baths, as an average shower utilizes over 100 liters of water, whereas bucket baths consume just 20 liters. |
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Our Meals:
The Lodge kitchens serve authentic ‘home cooked’ buffet meals with fresh organically grown ingredients. Most of the produce is from our own farms or procured directly from the local farmers. Our recipes include local specialties that have been fine-tuned over generations. Meals are served in the garden or the dining rooms in the restored stable block. The evening bonfires provide a good opportunity to interact with other guests or simply sit back and do a spot of star-gazing.
Tea and coffee is available in the main garden throughout the day and guests are welcome to make their own cuppa as often as they wish. Mineral water is complimentary and available upon request.
Library and sitting room:
Guests are welcome to use the library, sitting room and seating areas/verandahs of the main house. We encourage all our guests to treat the Chambal Safari Lodge as their ‘home away from home’ and endeavour to provide a warm, friendly and welcoming environment where we hope you will arrive as guests and leave as friends.
Indoor/outdoor games:
There are several board games available to guests in the library. We have a cricket set which is put to good use throughout the season – we require very little inducement to indulge in a game of fairly competitive cricket! |
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Our Team:
Our team members are a highly motivated, enthusiastic and friendly group of people from the local community.
(Find out more about us) |
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Our Resident Wildlife:
The sprawling grounds of the Chambal Safari Lodge are home to numerous birds and small mammals. Evening Nature Walks around the Lodge, with our resident Naturalist, are the best time to go looking for Palm Civet Cats, Jungle Cats, Foxes, Jungle Hares, Fruit Bats, Hedgehogs and the Indian Striped Hyenas. With a checklist of over 180 birds, birding in the Lodge grounds starts with the ‘wake-up call’ of the Barbets & Babblers, and continues through the day with the birdsong of the hornbills, koels and treepies and well into the evening with the foraging fruits bats and hooting owls.
(See our Checklist) |
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Resident Naturalists & Checklists:
Our resident naturalists are available to guide morning and evening rambles through the lodge grounds and surrounding countryside. We provide detailed checklists to all our guests and the naturalists will be on hand to help you ‘tick’ off the many species you will see at the lodge and elsewhere in the Chambal valley.
Village Walks & Nature Walks:
Short walks from the Chambal Safari Lodge are an opportunity to explore an entirely different world. Jarar, our ancestral village, is an interesting mix of the old and the new. You will find all manner of craftsmen practicing their trade as they have done for centuries, as well as shops selling the very latest, albeit pirated, Movie DVDs. The locals are friendly and completely untouched by tourism, and take great pride in showing you around.
Responsible Tourism:
The Chambal Safari is an eco-tourism venture. We endeavour to ensure all activity is eco-friendly and sustainable as far as possible. We welcome suggestions and ideas that help us improve on our efforts. We very strongly request our guests not to give any handouts to any of the individuals they meet during their time with us. We believe that your visit is your contribution to our area. It helps our local economy and your interest helps us protect our natural resources.
(Find out more about our conservation profile and eco-friendly practices) |
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Our Operating Season: 1st October to 30th April
Temp/Climate:
The daytime temperatures vary a great deal, but it is usually warm in the sun. The temperatures dip around mid-December, with the onset of morning and evening fog, and the days and nights remain quite cold till the end of January.
The temperature ranges between:
• Day:25-35 °C Night:15-20 °C October, November, February and March
• Day:15-24 °C Night: 4-10 °C December and January
• Day:25-35 °C Night:15-25 °C April
Clothing and equipment:
We recommend all weather walking shoes, jackets and hats.
*Image of Civet Cats courtesy Dhritiman Mukherjee. |
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