Leela experience

Yesterday's visit to the leela was my first visit to the place. I am overwhelmed by the lavishness inside the palace. I and my team had initially planned to go bowling but the bowling ring was booked there. So we sat in the Barista to have some coffee. It was then I decided to go around the place.

Garden - The grass is really lush green! They have cropped it and maintained it well. The path to walk in the lawn is also well laid out. The lawn is laid out it such a place that the windows or the corridors of the rooms open to the lawn. There are small plants that have grown in a beautiful way in-between. Coconut trees had some disease free looking coconuts (what else could be there?). The flowers were unique. There was water-fall and we took sometime to really have a look at it just to identity if the rocks were artificially placed or natural ones.

Shopping - Most (almost all) shops inside the Leela are really expensive. But the range of shops is really good. From books to diamonds, everything is available. One of my friends had been to a shop to buy ladies top. A simple looking cotton top costed him a Rs 2800/-. There was a pianoist performing in the center of the shopping complex. The acouistics was perfect in the hall.

People - There were lot of Indian couples in the shopping mall. The crowd was mostly young and hep. The dressing was western and could be a culture shock for people new to hep society. Me and my friend walked towards the lounge and sat there for a moment. People used to get down from their cars and move towards the reception and then to their rooms. Here there were lots of foreigners who seemed to be on business trips. I the suite in which ShahRukh stayed here for a couple of nights during his dance show costed a lakh per day.

Architecture - Leela as it is rightly called - does look like a palace. The pillars are huge and wide. There are arches and some sculptures made of cement. The arches give a majestic look. The wavy light coming from the pillars reminds me of the mirrored master bedroom in the Amer fort, Jaipur. The flower vases have the Mughal symbols in them. The most glaring thing missing is the majestic carpets which is very common in Indian palaces. Instead the floors are covered by marbles. This could have been better.

Definitely worth a visit if not a stay!