“Hospitality means primarily the creation of
free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend. Hospitality is not
to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is
not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed
by dividing lines.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Reaching
Out
I consider myself most fortunate
that I got the opportunity to stay at
Shamnath
Villa for four weeks recently. As it turned out this happened to be one of
my most memorable stays outside of my own home ever.
Wait..wait..wait, it’s not a holiday resort or a seven star luxury hotel ……….. It
is a bed n breakfast hotel located in Civil lines Delhi, a place referred
to me by my friend Sudhanshu, on whose recommendation I went through its reviews
at
www.tripadvisor.com and decided on giving the place a try. And
what a decision it turned out to be.
The credit for my wonderful stay
goes largely to the hosts, Mr Arun Shamnath & Mrs Shalini Shamnath, who have given hospitality a totally new dimension. Most other guests in the hotel were repeat visitors or those who chose the place through referrals.
 I |
| Mrs Shalini Shamnath with other guests |
Shamnath villa is located in Civil Lines, right next to the serene
and picturesque North Ridge a.k.a Kamla Nehru Ridge, on Shamnath Marg, which is
certain to be one of the finest localities in North Delhi. I had no clue that a
place like this even existed in Old Delhi. Shamnath Marg itself is named after
the erstwhile Mayor of Delhi who happened to be Mr Arun Shamnath’s father. The villa is replete with artefacts, paintings, marble statuettes and photos reminiscent of the bygone era. It also has a lot of history for the inquisitively inclined.
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| Mr & Mrs Shamnath |
The warm welcome that I received
from the hostess, the ever so graceful, polished, courteous, compassionate, knowledgeable and erudite and Mrs Shalini Shamnath(one of the most remarkable women that I have had
the good fortune of meeting) set the pace for things to come. One cannot but be touched by her
caring, thoughtfulness, warmth and spontaneity.
Mrs Shamnath thereafter, was to become a constant companion on the dining
table, many a times along with other guests. The day, more often than not
would begin with a stimulating breakfast table conversation with one or the other of the guests
and would end with dinner table tete – a- tete with another……….. and each one
of these guests more learned than the other in his or her chosen field. So much so, that I would look forward to the
next opportunity to meet and chat with these fine people .......... and of course one would never tire of talking to the hosts themselves. I got to meet and
talk to Anthropologists, educationists, businessmen, tourists, historians and so on. It was
amazing to see so many people from across the globe congregating in this
awesome hotel, make it their temporary abode and mingle freely with other
guests like family. It is this family atmosphere created by the hosts assisted by
the most charming staff, that makes this place unique and sets it apart, as
opposed to a regular hotel with their impersonal and businesslike demeanour.
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| Mr Arun Shamnath's mother(extreme right) and father(second from left) |
Thank you very much Mr & Mrs
Shamnath, I hope I have made a friend for life and will always look forward to
meeting you again and again and ……. again.
“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a
communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the
multiples of those with whom it is shared.”
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
