It is appropriate that I am writing this column in the midst of a full-blown desi wedding in New Jersey. I have just finished day three – a fabulous garba night, where hundreds of jewel-bedecked guests twirled the night away, after feasting on pan-Indian cuisine at different food stations. The colour, the glitter, the pulsating beats, the relatives assembled from all over, the children running helter-skelter, the promise of the beautiful new relationship that one sees in the newly married couple…this could easily be New Bombay or New Zealand or anywhere else in the world. Geography doesn’t matter because the great Indian wedding season is inherently global in its nature and it is on in full swing right now.

Verve joins in the celebrations with this timely bridal issue. It’s been tremendously enjoyable to produce – our team has scoured the world to create the unique blend of meaningful words and iconic images that you find within the pages of this magazine. Our annual bridal cover shoot particularly, has now become somewhat of an institution. While last year had Ameesha Patel playing a runaway bride in France’s Loire Valley, we’ve chosen to travel eastward this year and taken the smouldering Diya Mirza to exotic Bali. The pictures say it all. I also love the sensuous Chennai fashion shoot, but I’m sure you will have your own favourites. A story that I enjoyed being a part of was the Circle of Friends, hosted by Jaideep Sippy at the Aman in Delhi, to discuss what Jaideep had termed ‘luxury of the senses’. At the lunch, I recounted what Christian Blanckaert of Hermès had said at the IHT Luxury conference earlier this year about deep luxury – which was all about sensuality, meaningful experiences and commitment to the environment. The Aman scores highly on all three counts – and as with all iconic brands, it is the small things that matter. The softness of the staff’s kurtas, the innovative use of marigolds throughout the property, the stone jaali architecture of the building, and the quirky custom fitted fleet of Ambassadors. But one doesn’t have to be a large entity like an Aman or an Hermès to strive to this level of deep luxury. I have often found similar characteristics in smaller brands, such as in the two charming hotels that I stayed in during short getaways last month to Amritsar and Pondicherry.

In general, I try my best to not stay at chains when I travel for leisure. Their standardisation bores me and I would much rather seek out small, unique places with character. After I saw Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, I decided that it was time to finally see the Golden Temple and Ranjit’s Svaasa pretty much stood out in terms of individualised luxury options in Amritsar. The serenity at the hotel complemented the calmness at the temple. There was a placidity, a sense of ease and comfort with the world. This is how it’s always been, this is how it will always be, was the message that was being conveyed.

The hotel is essentially a colonial style family haveli dating back to the 19th century, with a full-service spa attached to it. The young owners, brothers Abhimanyu and Vishal orchestrated my two day trip like clockwork – informing me about the best vantage point for the night palkhi, how to navigate the crowds at the Wagah border and the best jooti shop in the Amristar bazaar. The small touches were what made the experience so special. The costume on the Krishna statue in the spa that is changed daily, the welcome hamper with candied ginger, the mountain ash soap in the shower, the leafy courtyards all over the haveli, the family portraits in the entrance lounge, the freshness of each kulcha brought to my table at dinner time by a smiling server….

In Pondicherry, a week later, Le Dupleix conveyed a similar sense of deep luxury through its architectural heritage and sexy, striking design. Constructed in the 18th century as the residence of the Mayor of Pondicherry, the hotel was a labour of love for owner Dilip Kapur. As we chatted over a vegetable and cheese millefeuille served on the swing outside my room (number 5), he told me about how he painstakingly retrieved wood, furniture and fittings from Joseph François Dupleix’s house and refitted them in this hotel. As he pointed out other details, such as the granite fountain, designed by French sculptor Francois Weil, or framed embroidery masterpieces by French designer Jean Francois Lesage that adorned the walls of the rooms and the hotel’s common areas, his eyes gleamed, and the passion was palpable. Dilip’s passion for perfection transcends businesses. The next day, as I visited the Hidesign leather campus (to call it a mere factory would be an understatement, it is way too beautiful for that), I was impressed by how he and his team, along with Louis Vuitton’s financial and technical involvement are slowly and quietly building a powerful Indian superbrand, but I digress.

What united both the hotel experiences for me was their commitment to excellence and deep understanding of local nuances. These qualities are not just limited to the hospitality business. Small textile dealers like Kamyani in Delhi display them in abundance. In the world of culture, artists like Subodh Gupta or filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj succeed repeatedly precisely because of them. This is what I was trying to tell the other guests at our Aman lunch the other day, or at the previous month’s Asia Society conversation with Radha Chadha in Mumbai – instead of trying to teach Indians how to understand their version of luxury, perhaps foreign luxury brands would do better by trying to understand the sophistication and the nuanced appreciation of sensuality that is already coded into our Indian DNA, and use the insights gleaned into creating more meaningful experiences for us instead of trying to sell us generic products that are quite frankly, underwhelming in their appeal. Likewise, Indian brands should turn their gaze inward, not outward, for success. It wasn’t a popular sentiment, some found it nationalistic, but maybe you should read Jaideep’s piece to see what the others had to say.

The last stop of my mini-Bharat darshan last month was once again Delhi, a whirlwind of parties and celebrations – including our Black and White party at Olive Beach, that you will read about later on in the magazine. Each time I visit, I come back convinced that Delhi is the party capital of India and this time was no different. Here’s a random snapshot of a night in capital city. Location: a swimming pool farmhouse in Gurgaon. Anuja Chauhan has just left, perhaps to work on the screenplay of The Zoya Factor (yes, it’s being made into a movie). Malini Ramani’s diamond ring has fallen off her finger in the deep end of the pool and frantic efforts are being made to find it. Bharti Kher is playing judge as the other pool inhabitants are doing laps. The champagne is on ice, the DJ is spinning. It’s only 2 a.m. How White Tiger, you say? Indeed.

Subscribe to Verve Magazine or buy the Verve issue on stands now!