“Every experience of a human can be labelled under the Navarasas,” said Aman Nath, Founder and Chairman of Neemrana Hotels.

DURING A special address at the 4th Indian Hospitality Awards and Summit 2019 on the future of our past, Aman Nath, Founder and Chairman of Neemrana Hotels talked about the Navarasas of Heritage Hotels in India.

Talking about the history of the Neemrana hotel, Nath said, ”King was trying hard to sell the fort for 40 years which was in utter ruin. The idea behind buying this property was because I believe the best art in life is the one in which you have complexes. When you think you are not good enough, therefore, you try harder. Even after not being a hotelier or an architect, we did 32 restoration projects all over India and we branded them non-hotel hotels, as they were never build to be a hotel. They were building for warfare and how we have used those canons to welcome people earlier that was used for protection against the invaders.”

Quoting and agreeing with Nakul Anand, Director on the Board of ITC, Nath said, “Hospitality is an attitude for receiving people with warmth and I believe, being humane is one of the great strengths of an Indian.”

Talking about the rasa of the whole experience of tourism in the context of heritage hotels, rasa can be defined as the essence, taste, and relish. It is an intangible experience, something that remains in your mind after a visit to someplace that is what we are working towards. With rich cultural history, India does not need to re-invent itself for the same and we being an Indian, need to be ourselves.

Navarasas signifies nine different rasa or emotions that is, Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya (laughter), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera (heroism/courage), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bibhatsya (disgust), Adbutha (surprise/wonder) and Shantha (peace).

Breaking the nine emotions down into the experiences in these palaces. Nath showcased various palaces through his presentation. He talked about the struggle of finding the land for the ‘Lake palace’ in Udaipur and how ‘The bungalow on the beach’, Trabquebar, survived the tsunami.

India is rich in culture and every district has the potential of becoming a tourist destination. “Through heritage hotels, travellers can experience the roots of India and that is what we are working towards,” said Nath.