Odisha Part 1 - The Svanir Experience

Odisha is a state I have visited twice. The first time was a sponsored trip, visiting a resort to write about them, as well as some of the more popular places to visit. I wrote the required content, but never got around to writing about the trip on the blog. This May, I visited Odisha for the second time, this time with family. The timing wasn’t great – it was either raining or it was terribly hot; besides, I wasn’t in the best of health and I couldn’t quite do as much as I liked. Despite all the challenges, it was a pleasure to explore the beautiful heritage of this state, and do things I couldn’t, the first time around. There is much I want to write about – the gorgeous temples, the sculptures, the museums, the natural beauty….. and yet, as I sit down and think about where to begin, there is only one place that I want to start with – the place we stayed at, for one part of our visit – Svanir.

The story begins long before our trip actually happened. As Samhith and I went back and forth over the places we wanted to visit, and where we wanted to stay, one thing was clear – neither of us wanted to stay at regular hotels. We wanted something different, something special. We were doing the usual circuit of Bhubhaneshwar, Puri and Chilika, but we were looking at homestays, heritage resorts, and the like, far from the holiday crowds, but which wouldn’t need us to break the bank. Eventually, after months of discussion and shortlisting places, we decided on 3 places. Instead of Puri, we chose to stay near Konark, at the Lotus Eco Beach resort, which was right next to the Ramchandi beach. For our second halt, we decided on Chilika, despite the fact that we knew it was off season, knowing it would be empty. Here, we stayed at the Mangalajodi Nature Camp, which is part of Odisha Tourism Department’s eco resorts. However, the highlight of our Odisha trip turned out to be our third and final stay, on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar – Svanir.

When I booked our stay at Svanir, the idea was to stay outside the bustle of the city, a place where Shankar and Samhith could go off walking somewhere on their own, and I could relax with a book, a place where we could unwind a bit. Soumya and Indrani were welcoming from the time I got in touch, and I looked forward to meeting them. Never did I think that I would enjoy our 4 days at Svanir more than the rest of our Odisha trip put together! Yes, Samhith and Shankar did go off on long walks, and I did enjoy sitting down with a book, mostly under one of the trees, listening to birds. But what made the stay special were Indrani and her family. Over the four days we spent there, we talked, and talked, and talked….. about all kinds of things….. we spoke about our lives, our experiences, about heritage, iconography, books…. The topics were endless, as were the conversations. She introduced us to Odisha cuisine, cooking up some wonderful stuff for us. Through Odisha, I had struggled with food, rarely managing to keep things down, but Indrani’s home cooking was magical – I was able to try new things, and enjoyed them as well. She and Soumya encouraged us to visit more museums than we had planned, which we also enjoyed immensely!

What was most striking about Svanir was Indrani’s love for handicrafts and textiles. This love could be seen all over, in every part of their home. From Pattachitra to Ikkat to pottery and papier mache, every aspect of Odisha’s handicrafts has been highlighted in their home. It is not just a showcase for the artisans, with whom Indrani works very closely, but it is also an introduction to the different forms of art for many of their visitors. Even though I was aware of most of the art forms as well as the textiles, the manner in which they had been displayed was a revelation to me. While I can appreciate aesthetics and write about it, to actually display such taste in aesthetics is something I appreciate, and wish I had, myself.

Listening to Indrani and Soumya talk about their journey and the making of Svanir, was inspiring. Listening to Soumya’s parents even more so. Every conversation brought me something new, something I  hadn’t either realized or thought about, things which I am reminded of, even months after our trip, when I read something now. The same feeling of inspiration comes when I read Indrani’s facebook posts, where she talks about some aspect of culture or tradition or craft, not in the short form of reels that are popular today, but where she writes as she speaks. Reading her posts reminds me of our many conversations, and keeps the connection alive. They also remind me that someday, I must make another trip to Odisha, just to meet Indrani and travel with her to the many villages where artisans ply their crafts, and explore more of this beautiful state with her, through her eyes.

There is much more I can write about Svanir, about Indrani and her lovely family, but words absolutely cannot do justice to my experience. You have to experience it yourself, so if you ever find yourself in Bhubaneshwar, do go visit them, and stay with them. And if you are interested in handicrafts, then you can have no better introduction to the arts and crafts of Odisha than at Svanir.

For further information and booking, visit their website - https://svanir.com/

P.S. I began this post trying to write a review of Svanir, as I have written reviews of other places I have stayed at, before. That post just refused to get written. After much deliberation, I decided to let the words flow, taking me where they would, and this is the result. It is not a review in the regular sense of the word. But then Svanir might be a homestay, but it is way more than that… it is an experience, enriched by the family who invited us into their home and their lives. So no review can do them justice. This is best described as an appreciation post for Indrani and her family at Svanir, a heartfelt thank you for the wonderful way in which they cared for us.

Photo courtesy: Indrani

Now that I have begun with a post on Odisha, I hope to follow this up with more posts on some of the wonderful places we visited… on this trip as well as the previous one… so stay tuned!