September 25, 2010: The Times of India, in association with Volkswagen, hosted a series of events in the Pink City (Jaipur) to showcase the handcrafted luxury car Phaeton. It was quite a day out for the guests who had been invited from all over the country for just this event. And to entertain them, royally, of course, there was a friendly elephant polo match, a glitzy fashion show & a cocktail soiree in the evening.
The event was held at hotel Jai Mahal Palace (a Taj group of hotel), was an amalgamation of the rich heritage & culture of Rajasthan. Early in the morning, as the guests began to walk in, one could smell the rich perfume they wore in the air. As they settled down to a day of laidback enjoyment, the polo match started. This was followed by a fashion show as the day gave way to the night. Neeta Lulla did Rajasthan proud as she showcased a collection replete with the charm & vibrant hues, fabrics, embroidery & prints of the state. Former Miss World Diana Hayden kick started the evening. Dressed in a striking black lehenga choli also designed by Neeta, Hayden was all charm. Neetas collection was much appreciated by Jaipur princess Diya Kumari, who said, Nice to see the blend of Indian heritage & tradition in her collection. There were performances on Bollywood hits in between the fashion show that held the audiences captive.
The poolside party in the night was a study in glam. We saw Arti Surendranath using a crutch. She told us shed been injured. Shed come with her husband Kailash. Diana, who was the emcee for the fashion show, made a late entry & that was when we noticed that she too had a ligament injury! If you make a commitment , you need to stand by it. I'm happy that I could make it, even if I had to take a double dose of pain killers, she told. And to ensure the complete royal feeling, members of royal families of Jaipur & Udaipur also graced the occasion. There was princess Diya Kumari & the erstwhile Maharaja of Jaipur Bhawani Singh, Padmini Devi, Kunwar Narendra Singh & Princess Bhargavi Kumari of Udaipur.
The food served was set to go with the regal settings & the decor. It was sumptuous & Rajasthani in flavour. Chappan bhog & som ras provided the perfect mix for a heady evening. Special care was taken to bring out a Rajasthani village ambience with traditional huts, handmade jute beds to enjoy the cultural performance by the Kaalbeliya dancers gave the taste of the rustic culture. Last but not the least, here are those who made the evening a success: Event Partner: Volkswagen Phaeton; Associate partner: Aldeia De Goa from DB Realty & KUONI Luxury Holidays; Royalty Fashion Show: Neeta Lulla; Event production: Kosmos India; Jewellery: Amrapali Jewellers,Jaipur; Hospitality : Jai Mahal Palace; The entire event was conceptualized, managed & executed by Wow Entertainment & Media. The event got telecasted on Zoom Television.
Neeraj Garg, the member of the board & director passenger cars Volkswagen India, answered some questions put up by Diana in-front of the audience after a small video presentation on the royal history of India & a video on the features of Phaeton. When Diana asked Neeraj Garg, as to why he chose Jaipur for the launch, he replied, the city represents the royalty of India. So, nothing better could have been offered than the hand crafted Phaeton. Something made Lutz Kothe, chief general manager, marketing & PR Volkswagen very happy Tripty Pandey's effort to converse in German. Its like coming home to see somebody speaking fluently in German & especially pronouncing the word Volkswagen correctly, said he.
Some of the guests that attended this function were Diya Kumari, Reshma & Suleman Merchant, Kiran Sippy, Tripty Pandey, Simone Singh, Nina Pillai & Shiva, Bina Choksi & Krish Pillai, Lutz Kothe, Sangita Singh Kathiawada, Arti Surendranath, Bhawani Singh & Padmini Devi, Maik Stephan, Neeta Lulla, Diana Hayden, Neeraj Garg, Smt. Naveen Agarwal, Tanmay Agarwal, Dr. Swati Agarwal & Sarthak Agarwal.
For viewing some selected snaps, click here.