Destination Deolali

Deolali, a popular hill station and health resort, was established in the 1860s on the Deccan Plateau at an altitude of 2,000 feet, on the banks of the river Darna in Maharashtra’s Nasik district. It is 200 km and a five-hour ride from Poona, where we reside. We usually visit Deolali at the tail end of the monsoon, when the drive is at its most scenic. The soothing green landscape is interspersed with the cheerful orange of cosmos flowers that bloom in wild profusion during the rainy season. We whiz past lush fields, coconut groves, vineyards, banana and coffee plantations. Cows and buffaloes graze contentedly while shepherds tend their flocks.

Top: The Ratanbai Edalji Jamshedji Chinoy Daremeher complex. (Above) Flowers in bloom Photos Shireen Bharucha

Our destination is the Neterwalla Rest House for Parsis located on Lam Road, where we always stay because the place is neat, clean and the rooms and food are reasonably priced.

The food provided by Ratti Vandre­walla is excellent. Besides catering to our requests she offered us treats like the delicious red fish curry, which she said was her mother’s cherished recipe. Meal timings are also very flexible. The dining room though, could do with some improvement, being rather dark and gloomy. The common TV is placed here for couch potatoes.

All the rooms are airy and bright. The window drapes are colorful as are the bedsheets . Each room is furnished with a cupboard and a small dining table with chairs, in case one does not want to go to the dining room. However, no towels are provided and have to be brought by the guests. Our recent visit is more rewarding, for the rooms have been redone. The washbasin has been placed outside, while the bathing room and toilet have been neatly and tastefully separated and tiled. Each bathroom has a geyser, so hot water is available for 24 hours of the day, provided there is no power cut. Our non-a/c four-bedder, which is one of the five regular rooms, costs us Rs 500 per night.

Two rooms, each of which can accommodate four persons, known as the Memorial Suite are dedicated to Bomi Neterwalla. These are air-conditioned, even though the massive power cuts leave little opportunity to enjoy the facility. The rooms are lavishly furnished with bathrooms to match which trustee Nari Fitter, the gentleman behind these improvements, says can compare with any in a five star hotel. The rate for these rooms is Rs 1,600 per night.

All the rooms open onto a common verandah overlooking the well kept garden. A comfortable bench and a small table provided on the verandah outside each room make it a perfect place to relax.

For nature lovers like us, a walk around the garden with Fitter as our guide is a thrilling experience. Not only is the garden blooming with a variety of flowers, some of them quite unusual, there are also trees like the wood apple, the fruit of which resembles a chickoo. Fitter informs us that it is sour in taste. He also acquaints us with the cork tree that is in full bloom with delicate, fragrant white blossoms. Squirrels scamper up and down trees, dragonflies and butterflies flit over the flowers and giant snails can be seen on the walls.

For the more energetic, a walk through Deolali Camp is delightful. Being a cantonment it is very green, clean and pollution free. Stately bungalows with huge gardens line the road while centuries old banyan trees provide welcome shade. A loud squawking arrests our attention during one of our walks. We look up and are fortunate to see a pair of majestic Indian Black Ibis atop a tree, their glossy black plumage capped by a bright red patch on the top of their heads — a rare sight for city dwellers like us. For those who have a special interest in weapons, a visit to the Artillery Museum showcasing the evolution of arms through the ages is interesting.

The Neterwalla Rest House is easily one of the better maintained dharam­shalas in the country with the colonial style cottages exuding an old-world charm. Adding to the beauty is the serene Ratanbai Edalji Jamshedji Chinoy Daremeher on the premises surrounded by a garden filled with nature’s bounty.

To enjoy a rejuvenating holiday far from the hurly-burly of urban existence contact the manager Shernaz Godrej, Neterwalla Rest House, 216 Lam Road, opp Dr K. N. Bahadurji Sanatorium, Deolali Camp 422401, Nasik District, Maharashtra. Telephone (0253) 2493669; e-mail: neterwallaresthouse @yahoo. com, mobile 9049181911.