A Jaipur homestay celebrates craft with its unusual design

Dreaming Up Their Reality

Even its origin story has an unmistakable ‘universe conspiring to make it happen’ energy to it. “It was a long-term dream that my wife Devyani and I had to have our own homestay. And we wanted one close to our house,” says Shan. Incidentally, guests will know their home as the ‘Artists’ Mansion’. A visit to the Bhatnagars’ private home is a popular part of a stay at Laalee today.

But back then, Laalee was still just a dream, and this house nearby was a pretty sight that the couple would admire on morning walks during Covid. One day their broker informed them of a house from their own neighbourhood that was on the market. “It turned out that this was the very same one. It’s as though we manifested it into reality,” says Shan.

Along with Ganesh and Preeti Kohli who bought the property, the Bhatnagars got down to transforming the house into their boutique homestay.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Homestay

Once the house fell into their hands in March 2023, they got to work immediately. Shan had given himself a hard deadline for October 2023 to get the place running. It was a breathless pace, especially since the house needed to be converted into a hotel, with adequate rooms, a lobby, and larger bathrooms among other things. Add to that the very specific Shrinathji-inspired aesthetic and some very elaborate décor ideas, and six months didn’t seem like enough time. Incredibly, Laalee did open as per the plan with just some bits left over. “The house was a great space and big enough that we could accommodate nine rooms, a verandah/main entrance, lobby, coffee shop—everything that a hotel needs.”

The Spirit of Design

The Mayur room depicts dancing peacocks (the rare white varieties) while the Padma room has lotuses painted all over the walls, representing Gopis looking at Krishna. Another one, Utsav, celebrates his antics as a child with toy motifs scattered around the skirting. The red-coloured walls of this room are where the homestay gets its name from. The Diwali room is a dramatic counterpoint with black walls and silver accents. “These colours are seen in Jaipur during Diwali and the idol is always dressed up in black and gold.”

The Complete Experience

At Laalee, they became tools to dress up the walls to tell captivating stories. The guests, too, find themselves drawn into experiencing the design and Jaipur-style hospitality while enjoying their stay. For Shan, that encompasses three main factors, all of which are on offer at Laalee. “Raag [music], bhog [food] and shringar [decoration] are the most important things. Everything rests on these three elements to complete the experience.” Laalee surrenders to that ethos: sitar strains greet guests every morning and bansuri music pipes through speakers all day. Shan’s wife Devyani, a self-taught chef and his partner in this endeavour, prepares fresh (all-vegetarian) meals every day. And, of course, the shringar is easily evident everywhere.

For more information and booking details, visit Laalee.in

All images by Taha Ahmad