Category: Svasara Evenings

The Orange City

The city of Nagpur was founded by the Gond King Bhakt Buland Shah- a prince of the kingdom of Deogarh-Nagpur. The Gonds were Adivasi Tribal people who lived in forests and worshipped nature, they ruled the region between Narmada & Godavari rivers known as ‘Gondwana’; the capital of which was later shifted to Nagpur. Later this city was a part of the Maratha Empire, ruled by Raja Raghuji Bhosale of Berar. The British East India Company took over Nagpur in the 19th century and later made it the capital of the Central Provinces and Berar, the Nagpur Province.

Raja Raghuji Bhosale II was called the architect of modern Nagpur as he was a major contributor to the development of the city. Ideal soil and weather conditions allowed oranges to be cultivated in vast quantities, becoming one of the region’s primary exports. So much so that Nagpur is famous as the ‘Orange city’ to this day.

On your next visit to Svasara-Tadoba, if you have time to explore our region with Mandira, do let us know in advance. Based on your interests, we can curate a customized guided tour to historical & heritage sites. Food walks, hands-on craft experiences, photography & sketch expeditions, etc. can also be organized. 

Photographs by Architects Mandira Neware & Amol Wanjar

About the Author:

Mandira is a Nagpur based architect, who is passionate about photography and arts. Her keen interest in India’s rich heritage, inspired her to start conducting heritage walks in the Vidarbha region. She enjoys the historical storytelling and wishes to grow awareness about the region’s history & culture. She also plays an integral role in Svasara’s design team working on eco-friendly upgrades to the property and future projects.

The dinners at svasara is a journey through India’s diverse regional cuisines – the most popular being the local Varadi Menu i.e. cuisine of the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra. Guests not only enjoy the local flavours, but also the freshness of the vegetables from Svasara’s organic farm. Every season, based on guest feedback some menus continue and some get replaced with alternative cuisines. Few of the dinners served this season include Punjabi, Mughlai, Bihari, Kashmiri, Bohri and Anglo Indian.

The Teak House is modeled after garden pavilions popularized by the Maratha kings of yore who ruled Central India. Pavilions are an answer to the tropical wet and dry climate of the region where it is so important to harness the wind for comfort. Therefore, The Teak House is oriented NW – SE so as to catch the predominant SouthWest wind. This orientation also keeps the summer sun out while allowing the winter sun in. Deep roof overhangs provide further comfort by ensuring that even low rays of the setting summer sun are kept out.

The Teak House owes its name to an extensive use of teakwood. A conscious decision was taken to reuse wood from old dismantled buildings. Even the white ‘Allahabad’ roof-tiles is from old dismantled buildings. The reuse of old building materials and of locally available materials such as stone contributes to a smaller carbon footprint and is our way of showing that we care for the environment.

Traditionally, pitched roofs are supported on trusses. In an innovation of sorts, trusses have been done away with; with the ridge member being propped up by a strategically placed central post and by hip ridges at its two ends. This has been made possible because of the steep pitch of the roof. The ensuing result is a high and uncluttered roof.

Be it broom finish plaster on walls, motifs on pedestals and brackets or a chamfer here and a groove there on teakwood posts and rafters, it is the subtle attention to detail that gives The Teak House that enduring quality.

Besides the outdoor dining, The Teakhouse also contains an open-air Jungle Cinema. Here the guests, every evening can catch a presentation on Tadoba by the Lodge’s Naturalists or a BBC/Discovery Channel documentary on Tadoba with the sound of crickets chirping in the background. As the Lodge sits very close to the Tadoba forest, every once so often, the roar of the Tiger in the Cinema is replied with a real roar or an alarm call from the forest!