Vishranti in the Doon Valley offers a warm, vintage welcome just what you need to overcome Delhi's worrisome winter

Antiquity is a luxury in times as transient as today. So are tiger-skinned couches, Twentieth century paintings, royal mantelpiecesu00a0 andu00a0 classic crockery. Unless, of course, you're here. And simultaneously, in an other world, altogether. At Vishranti in Dehradun, everything vintage comes easy. After Dehradun became the capital of Uttarakhand, commercialisationu00a0 crept into almost every corner of the city, leading to loss of its old-world charm. But this resort-spa resolved to keep the legacy alive.

I decided to take an impromptu break, though the very thought of Dehradun seemed dirty. I was, thankfully, proved wrong. Two hundred and seventy kilometres from Delhi, on the fringes of the west side of the city lay what I now know to be a paradise for nature lovers, nestled in 23 acres of peace amid silent Sal forests.u00a0

Vintage voyage: Initially home to ex-Ranji cricketer Michael Dalvi, the place was completely done up by the player himself, for family and friends. Each tree here has been planted by Dalvi, and each rare bird reared by him. The decor, too, has been left untouched. So you can imagine his tastes in art!u00a0