With Maldives facing a low tide in the Indian waters, Goa is back being the flavour of the season with those seeking some fun under the sun. The sudden rush of tourists to the beach capital of India has been a boon for many emerging ritzy properties cropping up along the coasts of North Goa.
Close to the once-ignored posh Assagao area and a few minutes away from beaches like Anjuna, Baga and Calangute, Vagator has definitely become a popular choice for upscale hotels and affordable backpacker stays. Known for its red cliffs and stunning beaches dotted with pulsating shacks and happening cafes, Vagator beach is a far cry from the overcrowded and commercialised Baga.
A recent trip to Vagator for the review of 3102bce -- a designer boutique resort replicating architecture dating back to the Vedic era -- had us impressed. Only 15 minutes away from the beach area, the serene and quiet family resort offers a slice of the Vedic times in a landscape otherwise dotted with beautiful quaint chapels and Portuguese architectures. As we entered the resort’s rustic courtyard -- flanked by buildings on all four sides holding 36 well-appointed rooms -- we were transported to the times of the Indus Saraswati civilization.
Owned by The Lindsay Group, this property is themed around the ancient Vedic civilization and has an essentially ancient charm with Harappan-style city walls and a Great Bath like structure right in the middle of the courtyard.
Abhay Mishra, who has conceived and curated the entire theme, tells us that the resort’s name holds significance in Indian mythology, since 3102 BCE in Hindu religion marks the end of Lord Krishna’s reign and the beginning of Kalyug or current era.
But it’s not merely the facade that reeks of ancient glory, the rooms too have been carefully designed around the seven Chakras of the body -- key to our mental and physical well-being.
At every corner of the place, we find a meld of primordial design aesthetics with contemporary ambience, be it the trapezoidal columns at the entrance, which also serve as guard rooms or the linear stairways, a pre-existing well, ancient grids & patterns, and the use of Mandala. Abhay also mentions how the traditional Harappan built form has been weaved into the design along with the Vedic science of Vastu Shastra, which uses grid patterns. To achieve the same look and feel, they have given the place a finished clay texture and irregular cladding has been employed to recreate the pre-historic feel.
We loved how they used the cantilevered balconies to minimise the visual impact of ducts, and have levels and steps to cope with the undulating topography in the courtyard. Also, discreet use of levels in the drainage planning philosophy of these ancient people has been applied for movement of water here, keeping the sustainable angle in mind. “The idea was not to use it as a mere drain but also to use it as an aqueduct to facilitate movement of water,” says Ishaan Bhutoria, director, The Lindsay Group.
We loved the courtyard area that holds The Great Bath restaurant and also doubles up as a recreational and leisure zone, with a space marked out for traditional games like Chaturanga and Chaupad. We soaked our tired feet in the plunge pools set alongside the pre-existing well. Unlike the modern luxe accommodations, rooms there had a unique layout based on the grids and ratios used in planning of the excavated ancient towns. The beds are centrally placed in tandem with the traditional practice. The junior suite, where we stayed on our arrival had a roomy jacuzzi in an outdoor setting. We also loved the family suite where we stayed the following day for its capacious pair of bedrooms and sprawling square balcony with a jacuzzi pool for four. You may also try out their luxe suite Lothal that comes with a private pool and party deck.
All the rooms are decorated with replicas of famous figurines discovered at archaeological excavation sites. The beauty of the resort is that all the rooms open into the fascinating Central Courtyard, which is conceptualised on the basis of 5 primary elements - Earth (Aangan), Water (Kund), Fire (Yagya), Air (Pran) and Space (Akaash).
Post a quick shower, we settled for some afternoon tea along with delectables. It’s marvellous how they have used the symbols and motifs from the Vedic era, right from the tiles in the pool to the seals embedded in the walls. The way they have meticulously narrated the fascinating tales of our ingenious ancestors through a number of artefacts, write-ups, plaques, and paintings that adorn the property, will surely make you proud.
We quickly polished off the snack spread curated by Indus Café comprising thin-crust pizzas and some sumptuous sandwiches, before galloping to the beach to catch the setting sun. The beauty of the red cliffs set against a scarlet sky is a memory that will stay fresh for a long time. You can create your own by visiting the pristine Vagator Cliff at Ozran Beach in Little Vagator. Sauntering up and down the hilly beach area was quite a fun way to do away with calories and whet up an appetite for the evening.
With cool breeze wiping our faces, we strode off to Brittos, one of the most popular and iconic beach restaurants near Baga beach. You have never truly felt the Goa vibes unless you dig into the fresh catch of crabs and lobsters sitting at a table by the beach with salty sea winds messing up your hair. We relished every bit of the Masala King Crabs, Butter Garlic lobster and the appetising prawns stuffed with crabs before ending our supper with an authentic Portuguese dessert Serradura made with alternate layers of whipped cream and crumbled Marie biscuits.
The next day began with a wholesome breakfast spread at the all-day diner Indus Café with soothing Vedic mantras churning in the background. Charged up we left for the day to explore Vagator and Assagao, famous for their emerging and trendy eateries, through a food trail. Our first stop was the beautifully done up Mustard Café and we loved every bit of the delicacies served there. Do try their flaky and soft Farmer’s Tart made with goat cheese, pumpkin, mushrooms and rucola.
Post the light starters, we headed straight to Bawri helmed by Chef Amninder Sandhu. This much sought-after destination diner in Assagao is among the prime game-changing diners in this erstwhile overlooked village, where gastronomes flock for a taste of traditional regional recipes made with local ingredients and boasting of complex flavours.
We tasted their special preparation Gucci Stuffed that’s prepared with Gucci or morrell mushrooms stuffed with mashed button mushrooms, and truffle oil, on a crunchy base of ragi and walnut soil. The smoky taste and buttery texture won us over. If you want, you can hop on to the other side of the floating cabanas by the Koi pond to VietNom, their other dining venture serving up some unique Vietnamese specialities. Before calling it a day we had a sumptuous lunch at Japanese diner Sakana with comforting bowls of soups, tempura, sushi, sashimi and boiled veggies.
To restore our tired limbs, the afternoon was spent at the resort’s in-house Ayurvedic spa centre, Ayur, where we took a rejuvenating Tailam (oil) aroma massage. The mix of eucalyptus, olive and coconut oils did well to invigorate our muscles and nerves, making us ready for more jaunts around the town.
The fun-filled evening opened with great conversations over some unusual concoctions at the resort’s in-house lounge bar Istaka. We tasted Jungle Bird, one of their signature rum-based cocktails and paired it with a light and soft dish called Blackened Fish.
The night ended with a romantic candlelit dinner at the resort’s experiential Indian culinary restaurant The Great Bath, inspired by the renowned eponymous structure discovered amongst the ruins of the Harappan and Mohenjo Daro civilisation. We settled for Dal Bati Churma, Garhwali Kafuli Pahadi and Bhapa Maach Murshidabadi from their extensive menu’s Bharat Ki Rasoi section. All the dishes were cooked with freshly ground whole Indian spices and had wafts of the regions they represent.
Beyond the backdrop of remarkable architectural landscape, 3102bce offers a truly immersive holiday, packed with gourmet cuisine, luxurious day spas, and elegant suites.
The author was there at 3102bce by invitation from The Lindsay Group.
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Must-visit places in Vagator
Parra
The Goa Collective Bazaar at HillTop (only Fridays)
Chapora Fort
Shiva’s Face
Little Vagator
St Anthony Church