Thaindian News

By Arvind Padmanabhan
Haridwar, Jan 19 (IANS) The hospitality industry in this pilgrim town is leaving no pebble unturned to lure even high-end tourists to the Maha Kumbh Mela, or the grand fair of the sacred urn, with well-appointed luxury Swiss tents and private bathing sites on the Ganges to combine spirituality with comfort.

While Leisure Hotels that has a major presence in Uttarakhand has 45 such tents on its two properties here, Thar Camps has nearly 100 at two sites, one of which is on a tiny island on the sacred river leased from the state government.

Apart from private access to the Ganges for those auspicious dips, most of these weather-proof tented accommodations also offer services such as special prayers, havans, ayurvedic massages, foot reflexology and yoga.

Certainly, such camps also do not come cheap — the rack rates can set you back by $100 a day for a couple in ordinary tents and as much as $300 for the more luxurious marquees that come with air-conditioning and running hot water. A fully-appointed tent costs Rs.250,000 ($5,000) apiece.

“We have also made special arrangements for multi-cuisine vegetarian dining with continental, Chinese and regional fares particularly from Gujarat, south India and other places,” said Ajay Kareer, head of operations with Leisure Hotels.

“At the previous Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad, we had hundreds of guests and many celebrities staying with us at our tents — you know people like Richard Gere (actor) and Kingfisher group chairman Vijay Mallya,” Kareer told IANS.

The camp sites at Haridwar are also offering a grand cultural evening with folk dances, bhajans and stories from Indian epics, apart from guided tours to local places of interest and even visits to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

“We are basically a camping company and we are replicating the same experience here. Our camps can cater to 200 guests, with wellness treatments, reflexology massages and free yoga instruction,” said Thar Camps director Sandeep Shekhawat.

“One of our camps is right on the Ganges on a little island. For this, we have a memorandum of understanding with the state government. These tents are totally environment-friendly and guests will surely have a memorable experience.”

According to Leisure’s Kareer, major attractions of one of their properties, called Lahore House, is its close vicinity to Har Ki Pauri, the main bathing area on the river, as also some of the main temples of Haridwar, apart from a private bathing area.

“Though not a camping site, we also own a heritage property called The Haveli Hari Ganga built by the maharaja of Pilibhit on the banks of the Ganga — a mere 300 metres walk through the bazaar at Har Ki Pauri,” he said.

Its interiors, Kareer added, are reminiscent of ancient Indian architecture and the 20 luxurious air-conditioned rooms and suites have airy courtyards and balconies that overlook the Ganga Ghat, another important bathing area.