Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, was my last destination on a two-week-long sojourn. I realised upon reaching INDeco Hotels Swamimalai—set amidst the three Grand Living Chola temples, and UNESCO World Heritage destinations, Darasuram, Gangaikondacholapuram and the Bragadeeswara Temple—that I had saved the best for last. I was welcomed with saffron tilak, marigold garland and the welcome drink, which was endearing and soulfully drew me to the place. A relaxing foot massage followed that in the special area dedicated within the reception, which itself had an interesting and unbelievable story.
INDeco Hotels Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu | Tracing its Journey
At first, I was a little confused seeing a Shekhawati building in a Tamil setup. When asked, Sindhu Priyadarshini, the Corporate General Manager of the property narrated the story of a miraculous translocation of the worthy heritage monument, The Mint Palace, from Chennai to INDeco Hotels Swamimalai. A wealthy Rajasthani businessman Bhansi Lal Rai Bahadur, previously owned an interesting tall building in Madras. The said house was known as the Mint Palace as the street on which it was built led to the government mint during the 1700s. But the beautiful building was razed to the ground in 2010 by the State Government to make way for another multi-storey complex. At that time, INDeco, under the leadership of Steve Borgia, acquired all the pieces of the heritage building with a deep desire to erect it at a suitable location where it would remain forever.
Unlike other buildings in the region, every pillar, jali frames and woodwork have been singularly edged in Rajasthan and transported to Chennai for this unique creation. It took 42 lorries, 120 conservation student volunteers, 40 craft masons, 30 labour persons and about 35 days of labour to do the job. Built after combining three villages—a Tamil Brahmin village known as Agraharam, and two other villages—one artisan and one Muslim, INDeco Hotels Swamimalai allows you to experience village life in a luxury setting. The ceaseless chants of ‘Om Namah Shivaay' fills the atmosphere with serenity and send waves of transcendence. As I walked around the property, I found a board that read insects and creatures had the first right of way and guests must respect that. Every nook and corner of the property was carefully decorated with antiques collected from across the country and aptly depict the rich heritage of India. Built under the mentorship of Steve Borgia, the magnificence and the grandness of the premises, as well as the rooms, make you feel like a royalty.
INDeco Hotels Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu | One Century Strong
The actual foundation stone for the epic property was laid in mid-July 1896, in Thimmakudy, a small hamlet in Kumbakonam. It took nearly a decade for the work to get completed and in 1906, the work was done by Sri Srinivasa Iyer. Since then, Iyer and his future generations continued to live here until the 1990's. In 1996, the familial household changed hands and is currently owned by Steve Borgia. It was then that the INDeco Hotels Swamimalai was manifested in an epic villa, exactly a hundred years after the original house was built. The most important prerogative was to ensure that the hotel emerged from the existing village framework, its heritage, culture, traditions, lifestyle, and practices. Transformed from a home into a hotel, it has turned into an experience, providing local flavour for the global market, created by local craftsmen, serviced by the neighbourhood and entertained through local talent.
It is, in simply terms, inspired by the culture and unparalleled intellectual history of Tamil Nadu. “Imbibed with love for life and delight for nature, rural India enthrals me. The wisdom, adventure and romance contained in them are a part of the life, thought and behaviour of every Indian even today. Here, every feeling finds an experience. I have lost my heart, mind and soul to rural India. And Kumbakonam remains an epitome,” says Steve Borgia, Chairman and Managing Director, INDeco Hotels Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu.
INDeco Hotels Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu | Crafted with Care
All rooms are different and geographically distributed in different zones within the estate. While the suites in the ancient Heritage Block have old-world charm on offer, the Palace Block exhibits sheer luxury of space and ambience. The rooms around the home of the late Hindu pontiff, Sankaracharya of Kanchi in the Zamin block have their share of divinity. This 1896 traditional Tanjorean house is perhaps one of the few to survive in the region. There are over eighty ethnic suites too—and with plenty to offer, INDeco Hotels Swamimalai claims no two rooms are similar in size, décor and feel. The property also houses a museum called The Steve Borgia Indian Heritage Museum. From cameras, telephones, musical instruments from the Imperial Era to statues of deities, old fans, furniture, lanterns, paintings, sculptures and icons, the many artefacts have been handpicked by Steve Borgia himself.
In order to cover Tamil Nadu, in southern India, ‘The Steve Borgia Indian Heritage Museum' has been establishing thematic museums since 1998, organising travelling museum shows. These museums represent Tamil lifestyle, heritage and beliefs and practices. The place simply, and wholly, allows one to absorb the richness of rural India.
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