When you shift to a new city, the first thing comes to your mind is ’Food’ - availability of good food, good people, good restaurants, good place to spend weekends..........This is what was hovering in my mind when I shifted to Hyderabad from Chennai...........Rajasthani food had always fancied me..............and then I saw in the tourist map of Hyderabad - something marked in big bold letters - "DHOLA RI DHANI"......made my wonder what is it???.........so decided to visit it out of curiosity..........n the discovery was indeed worth spending time........I had discovered a full-fledged Rajasthani Resort in Hyderabad........
Location
Just half an hour drive from the heart of the city.......bit on outskirts.....at Kompally on Medchal Highway......road straight from Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad.......nice drive, good road......one cannot miss it if driving on this road........it is glittering with 2000 lanterns on evenings
The Concept
A unit of Gupta’s Hotels and Motels, designed to give you an ethnic Rajasthani village ambience. It is recognised by Andhra Pradesh Government as theme restaurant and tourist attraction. The concept is to provide Rajasthani hospitality to the customer right from entry to exit. The ambience is being created by big welcome trumpet - blown during the entry of each visitor, followed by big ’tilak’ on your forehead and then village fair kind of atmosphere throughout..........huts, temples, camels, folk dances............
The Cost
So after a warm welcome on the gate, you proceed towards ticket counter. The ticket counter is unique one - the accountant dressed in traditional ’munim’ dress sits with his vault and small working table. You have to pay cash - no credit cards.......they ask you what time do you wanna have your food......you need to specify time......they write the time on your tickets......you need to have food only on that time.......For entry with lunch its Rs.150 per head......Evenings Rs.200......without food only entry costs you Rs.50 and Rs.125 in afternoon and evening respectively......yeah people who simply want to enjoy and do not want to have high calorie food need not pay for it......For lodging Rs.1000 plus taxes for an AC Cottage...........pretty reasonable.......
Attractions
Start your tour to the village fair with a ride in a toy train blowing whistles.......the driver wouldn’t mind giving you 5-6 rounds on your request.......everything is unlimited here......
Proceed towards a temple......Panch Deva Mandir (Five God Temple)........with specially designed Umbrellas (Chatris they call in Rajasthan) at sides and centre.......people hire this place for conducting religious ceremonies like poojas and wedding.........
Have your welcome drink at Jaljeera stalls as you proceed further.......
After this you have a choice......to go for a puppet show.......or to go to an ’Ghumar Jhumar’ auditorium to see folk dance.......or to the magic show.......or to the Hookah zone - where one can smoke flavoured Hookahs the Maharajah way throughout the evening.......priced at Rs.50 per head
There is a Disco with Rain dance too for the youngsters.......so its not fully ethnic.......a special dance floor is build near the lake......
There is an astrologer who can read your palm and face and tell your future.......
Number of rides for the kids.......camel ride.....horse ride........pony ride.......jeep ride.....to name the few.......
Do not miss a show called ’ Dhani ke Sholay’ ............ a live show of the famous scene from the movie ’ Sholay’ where Gabbar Singh asks Basanti to dance with Amitabh and Dharmendra tied with chains........its a major attraction shown at 8.00 p.m. daily......
You can enjoy boating in the full moon in the lake with an overbridge......
Food
So, while enjoying all this you realise that suddenly you are very hungry as the smell of pure ghee passes through your nostrils......check the dinner timings on your ticket and proceed towards a hall where food is being served......
You have to remove your footwear outside the hall.......as you are required to sit on the mats on the floor......Royal Rajasthani Chowki styled Dining Hall as they call it.........where Rajasthani vegetarian cuisine is served on leaves.....Chowki is a small table kept in front of you on which food is served......
Variety is the highlight of the menu.......the meal starts with starters range consisting of veg pakoda, veg manchurain, cut chilli, samosa, mini spring rolls.......followed by main course of famous ’Dal bati churma with gatte ka saag’ - traditional Rajasthani dish cooked in pure ghee......2-3 kinds of curries like mutter panner, malai kofta, alu gobhi (curries change everyday).....2-3 kinds of rotis.......2 kinds of rice n pulao.......curd n raita........concluding with two deserts.....jalebi n malpua.....
Food is cooked in pure ghee.......the waiters dressed in traditional uniforms take good care of you.....they would force you to eat more n more.........they treat you like guests in their own house.......your plate would never be empty......they would dump more food in your plate before you could finish..........amazing hospitality........unmatched taste.........
Finally, you come out of the premises after all the amazing experience.......take out your car from the big parking lot outside........the parking is on open ground.......huge one......no hastles.......drive back home on the Medchal highway........singing ’d h o l a............ r I ......... d h a n i’