The ROYAL Escape

Isha Mayer steps into Patiala's dazzling history at Ran Baas The Palace

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Not long after landing in Chandigarh, I hopped into a car and began my journey to Patiala. Closer to my destination, the car wove through the narrow, buzzing Adalat Bazaar before entering the towering Darshini Deodi, the grand gateway of the 10-acre, 18th-century Qila Mubarak, the oldest Sikh fort of the Phulkian Dynasty. I arrived in a sprawling forecourt, facing the richly adorned entrance to Qila Androon, the inner palace that once housed the private quarters of Patiala's royal family. And just to the left stood Ran Baas The Palace, a 300-year-old double-courtyard palace that was once home to the Patiala queens, now lovingly restored and transformed into a hotel. Stepping out of the car, a red carpet was rolled out. I was welcomed with showers of rose petals, dhol beats, and a phulkari chaddar over my head. From the moment I arrived, it was all regal treatment, and I was more than ready for my princess moment.

GOING BACK IN TIME