TTT SPECIAL:THE KIKAR LODGE - INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE FOREST RESERVE DOTTED AMIDST THE BACKDROP OF 1800 ACRES OF LUSH GREENERY

( Located at Kangar, Rupnagar, Punjab, 26 Kms from Anandpur Sahib, experience the treasure trove of luxury in the forest )

BY INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA

( THE WRITER IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED , MULTIPLE AWARD – WINNING TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR)

NEW DELHI | 10 JUNE 2025

It’s the kind of indulgence and pampering a travel journalist like me tries hard to avoid! (Just kidding…)

Food tasty enough to drive a diet freak up the wall; service that’s a mere whisper away; all-round comfort, and an ‘all embracing’ ambience.

The fact is that the couple of days we spent there were a blur of sheer, epicurean indulgence.

Welcome to The Kikar Lodge. 1,800 acres of scrub, shrub, hills, forests, birds, escarpments, valleys, shrub, and scrub, ensure you don’t get claustrophobic in a hurry.

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 ample proof to substantiate my claim.

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 raised the establishment to top-drawer status.

Impressed and charmed by the private South African game lodges they’d happen to visit, the Chopras wanted to replicate the product in India. The fact that they owned such a large tract of forest land helped. The family’s resolute nature made them roll up their sleeves and ‘go for it’, to start with a ten-cottage establishment, and the rest, as they say, is history.

So, what’s the big deal? What’s so hot about The Kikar Lodge? Not given to needless boasting, the Chopras nevertheless proclaimed that the reason for their success is the fact that they make guests feel at home. This formula has worked very well and today the hotel is among the top ranked in the country.

A dozen positive attributes compel visitors to not just feel at home, but like the establishment and its people. The ambience, staffs’ courtesy and quality of the ‘farm fresh’ food on offer deserve special mention. The fact that this has captivated their guests is manifest in the fact that many revisit.

Our check-in done, we immediately ventured outdoors. This is why people come here in the first place, and I must confess one never tires of it. We walked around the premises, past the car park, into the forest and then retraced our steps to the languid swimming pools. 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 one nurses one’s coffee and private thoughts, or just sit and enjoy that book you’ve been carrying around with you for months.

You know that saying, ‘food is the first love’? It takes just one bout of indulgence to understand the praise lavished on the food. Our first buffet lunch was a North Indian foodie’s delight, comprised of Spinach Chicken; Dal Rajma; Meethi Paneer; salads; Dum Aloo; and Rice Pilaf.

Evening heralded cooler temperature. 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 cheer and bonhomie. Watching over proceedings is a single, hill-perched Kikar that looks eerily beautiful with its subtle lighting.

A highlight was the night drive around the forest to spot leopards. Though we didn’t get to see them, the drive itself was a wonderful outing.

If you have the energy and desire, strike out and explore the region. Pay your respects at Jhiri Sahib Gurdwara, an oasis of calm with loads of atmosphere. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji had visited the village here and the Gurdwara is a tribute to his visit. A paathi was reading from the Guru Granth Sahib, and a sevadar offered us a choice of lassi or tea 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 still exists.

Take the hour-long drive to Ropar and get your blessings at Gurdwara Bhata Sahib, which commemorates the four visits by Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji. Then drive to Gurdwara 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 countryside views. Not far away lies Gurdwara Kiratpur Sahib, that was the cremation site of three Sikh Gurus.

And then of course, there’s Anandpur Sahib (City of Joy), 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, Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib, where 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 contains the Guru’s weapons and is one of the five Sikh Takhts (thrones). Our respects paid, we converged on the langar hall for the tasty, sumptuous langar.

Meanwhile, back at the lodge, it was business as usual. Which meant large doses of tranquility and indulgence rolled into one neat package. Much against my better judgement, I put away a rather generous helping of the delicacies on the table.

For those interested, there’s provision for business meetings and banquets. And of course, weddings! This is quite the ideal wedding site.

Much before I had wanted, it was time to leave, and I had 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 with the speed of sound.