The Kikar Lodge

 By Inder Raj Ahluwalia

Food tasty enough to drive a dieter up the wall; comfort levels you normally labour to seek; service that’s a mere whisper away; and an ambience that slowly but surely gets hold of your imagination. 

It’s the kind of indulgence you don’t find easily, but can get very used to.

I don’t mind admitting that the couple of days we spent there were a blur of sheer indulgence and epicurean delights.

The fact is that The Kikar Lodge is a world apart. 1,800 acres of scrub, shrub, forests, hills, escarpments and valleys ensure you don’t get claustrophobic in a hurry, and can stretch your legs with gay abandon.

The lodge itself is also a sprawling affair with its rooms and suites overlooking the swimming pools, lake and forest. The Pheasant’s Nest is what they call the simply-appointed but vast restaurant that dishes out superb food; The Den is where you can sit in a cosy environment and gaze at prints and photos that line the walls; while The Watering Hole is exactly that. I have this on good authority.

Commissioned in 2003, The Kikar Lodge is the brainchild of Gobindar Singh Chopra who bought the land way back in 1986 because “he’d fallen in love with the Anandpur Sahib region”. Gobindar’s son, Amarindar, now manages the property with great panache, and the father and son duo has spared no efforts in ensuring top-drawer status for the establishment.

What inspired them to go in for such a venture? It was notional but simple. They were impressed and charmed by the private South African game lodges they’d happen to visit, and wanted to replicate the product in India. The fact that they owned such a large tract of forest land helped. The initial hurdle was the fact that Punjab wasn’t on the tourist circuit, but this is where the family’s resolute nature stepped in. They just rolled up their sleeves and ‘went for it’ and started with a ten-cottage establishment, and the rest, as they say, is history.

So, what’s so hot about The Kikar Lodge? Not given to needless boasting, the Chopras are, nevertheless, proud of their creation and attribute their success to the fact that they go flat-out to make guests feel at home. “What we have is a forest lodge, and we like to stick to these parameters,” they declare modestly.

Of the many positive attributes on offer – I could pen down a dozen that make you like the place and its people - the courtesy of the staff and quality of the ‘farm fresh’ food served deserve special mention. The fact that this has caught the fancy of their guests is manifest in the fact that the majority of them return.  

Our check-in done, we immediately ventured outdoors. This is why people come here in the first place, and I must confess you never tire of it. We walked around the premises, past the car park, into the forest and then retraced our steps to the swimming pools that invite lazing around. We obliged. One pool drains its water into the second, lower level one and the sound of the trickling water becomes an ongoing lullaby. This is where you sit and enjoy that book you’ve been carrying around with you for months, or just nurse your coffee and private thoughts.

It takes just one bout of indulgence to see that all the praise lavished on the food on offer is justified. Our first buffet lunch was a North Indian foodie’s delight, comprised of Chicken with Spinach; Dal Rajma; Paneer with Meethi; Dum Aloo; Rice Pilaf; Naan and Roti; salad and pickles. 

Came evening and the temperature dropped drastically. This was bonfire time, and they never looked or felt better than the ones that crackled merrily by the side of the gazebo, being as welcoming as the Chopras themselves. There was bonhomie all around. Watching over proceedings is a single, hill-perched Kikar that looks eerily beautiful with its subtle lighting...

If a restless spirit possesses you, strike out and explore the region. Pay your respects at Jhiri Sahib Gurdwara, an oasis of calm with loads of atmosphere. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji had visited the village here and the Gurdwara is a tribute to his visit. A paathi sat reading from the Guru Granth Sahib, and a sevadar offered us a choice of tea or lassi as ‘langar’.

On the premises itself is a well where Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji used to camp. It’s like an oasis in the desert, and the well itself is now home to two trees that are growing in it.

Take the hour-long drive to Ropar and get your blessings at Bhata Sahib, which commemorates the four visits by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji. Then drive to Parivar Vichora Sahib where the Tenth Guru bade farewell to two of his sons. Perched some fifty metres above the ground, the Gurdwara sports an air of serenity and offers excellent views of the surrounding countryside. Not far away lies Kiratpur Sahib, a historic Gurdwara that was the cremation site of three Sikh Gurus.

And then of course, there’s Anandpur Sahib (City of Joy), Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji’s bastion, and the site of several momentous incidents associated with him and Sikhism. Our first stop here was Anandgarh Sahib, the Guru’s fort, and the holy well accessed via 132 steps. Next stop, Sisganj Sahib, where Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji’s head was cremated with due reverence after it was carried here from Delhi by a brave Sikh named Bhai Jatia.

Now it was time to pay our respects at the main shrine, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, which is one of the five Sikh Takhts (thrones). The Gurdwara contains the Guru’s weapons. Our respects paid, we converged on the langar hall for the langar, which tasted as good as it always does.

Meanwhile, back at the lodge, it was business as usual. Which literally - translated meant tranquility and indulgence rolled into one neat package.

Came time to leave and I felt that sinking feeling that gets hold of me whenever I have to leave desirable surroundings. It had all happened too fast, and two  days had flashed by in a blur. 

I resolved to do what any self-respecting travel journalist should do in such circumstances.

Return to the courtesy and cuisine that had gripped my fancy with such gentle force.

Ten Kikar Lodge ‘Must-Dos’

-Explore the premises, particularly the forest area.

-Take a night safari and spot an assortment of wildlife.

-Go for a nature walk.

-Sit back and relax in The Den.

-Have a coffee by the poolside.

-Visit Jhari Sahib Gurdwara located on the premises itself.

-Sit out in the open around a bonfire and count the stars.

-Travel back in history at the Archaelogical Museum in Ropar.

-Make a pilgrimage to Anandpur Sabib’s historic Gurdwaras.

-Visit the Bhakra Dam and Naina Devi Temple.

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Amarindar Singh Chopra

As a child one is greatly impacted by the places one visits, or the people one meets. For me one of the greatest impacts was when I was taken to a piece of land situated in a remote, poor part of Punjab, surrounded by hills and forests.

At the age of 14 to be given a playground where one can dare to dream was a blessing.

Who knew that many later years later the pull of the land would bring me back to rural Punjab.
Call it the inbuilt love for the land, the that we Punjabis have or that 14 year-olds dream to get back to his playground, one thing is for certain. It was my destiny to come back to basics and start something special here.
The Kikar Lodge was a dream of my Father, and was  built with the intent to increase tourism, more importantly rural tourism, in Punjab, which would change the tourism dynamics of the state. 

Having started in the year 2005 with just 10 cottages, a couple of swimming pools, restaurant and outdoor adventure activities, the lodge had a natural feel about it. Nestled in the Shivalik foothills and surrounded by forests, the lodge had an immediate impact on people travelling from Delhi and the bigger cities, Not only did it give a sense of openness, but just to be in a safe environment in the midst of nature, gave it a completely different vibe. 

A truly offbeat luxury destination was born in Punjab which gave a new meaning to tourism in the state. Eventually we grew to 22 individual cottages, 8 rooms and 10 Luxury Tents, bringing the figure to 40 in total. 

The journey from 2005 to today has been one of learning and immense joy and contentment, that we as a family could do something for our state, that hopefully will encourage others to do the same and make Punjab a tourism destination, and also showcase to the world our culture and ‘Punjabiyat’.