FLAVOURS OF SAWANTWADI

At the heritage palace-turned-boutique hotel, Shraddha & Lakham Bhonsle are redefining their regal legacy through food & art, finds Vaishnavi Rana

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In the sleepy green folds of Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district lies Sawantwadi, a town known to a few for its lacquerware and hand-painted Ganjifa cards. But a quiet renaissance is underway, led by a chef couple with royal roots and global training. Shraddha Lakham Sawant Bhonsle and Lakham Bhonsle are infusing the Sawantwadi Palace Boutique Art Hotel with a fresh vibrance.

After studying at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and gaining hands-on experience at professional kitchens around the world, the couple returned home with a shared vision: to reimagine their legacy. As trained chefs and members of the royal family, their expertise blends beautifully with the values and traditions of their ancestors. They are creating meaningful experiences that draw guests closer to local lifeexperiences rooted in community, art, and slow living.

ON THE GLOBAL MAP

For the couple, the Sawantwadi palace transcends a place of personal history; it's a platform through which they aim to elevate their hometown on to the global stage. “One of our biggest struggles has been to promote Sawantwadi as a city. We want to put it on the global map,” says Shraddha.