After settling in our room (which was huuuuge!) and freshening up, we relished on some black coffee and homemade plum cake on the occasion of Christmas which was really delicious!
As the evening progressed, the chill in the air started being apparent and had a very pleasant feel to it – felt wonderful soaking into the cozy atmosphere after a day of long drive. The icing on the cake was a warm fireplace that the estate manager was kind enough to light up for the both of us. The warmth of the fire in the December winter was surely addictive!
Some pics from our first evening at the resort:
The Stay:
This section deserves a separate post simply because the property was one of the reasons I was looking forward to this trip. My girlfriend and I wherever we travel, always emphasize a good stay-experience as one of our top priorities. Naturally, we take a lot of time scouring the internet before making a pick, and this time was no different.
When we were shortlisting hotels to stay keeping our constraints of avoiding crowded places and staying close to nature, we were lucky to have chanced upon this place on Airbnb. While scouting for hotels, the usual places – Radisson Blu Ranchi, Capitol Hill, Chanakya BNR, and Le Lac Portico surfaced as the popular choices which had occupancies on our dates. Before finalizing on one of these, I happened to casually browse through Airbnb and chanced upon a very unconventional property by the name of Tikratoli Estate, hosted by Mr. Sanjiv T Lall. After going through the limited photos, I managed to Google around, and lo and behold! I was sold by the picturesque ambiance and dropped a booking query instantly. Within a couple of hours, our booking was accepted and I wired the requisite funds to the estate manager.
Tikratoli Estate is around 13 odd kms from Ranchi and a first-timer would definitely find it difficult to navigate to this place. The hotel-part-of-the-estate is newly built in 2020, whilst sharing space with sprawling acres of farmland. Besides housing the guest cottages, the estate also houses the owner’s residence – an English-styled villa that is exquisitely maintained amidst lush greenery having an abundance of tall teak trees and a plethora of flora shrouding it. The owner, Mr. Lall is a renovator of old villas by profession and interestingly, a vintage Jeep restorer by passion. What makes it more interesting for petrolheads is the fact that the property is adorned with a well-maintained collection of Mr. Lall’s acquired vintage Jeeps dating back to as early as the 1940s! Apart from the Jeeps, you’d find a 1966 Classic Bullet and a 1958 Mark I Petrol Ambassador also complementing the garage.
Before sharing the photos of the estate, ourselves, and the delicious food, the petrolhead in me would sulk if I don’t share the pictures of the beauties from the garage first, so here goes
Special thanks to Mr. Lall for supplying me with the detailed specs of his vehicles!
1944 Ford GPW 4 x 4, left-hand drive (Petrol) –
Manufactured by Ford Motor Company, USA. Delivered to the USA Army on 29th February 1994. Ford GPW Jeeps were discontinued by Ford Motor Company, USA, after the end of World War II in August 1945.
Specifications:
Length : 132.25 inches
Width : 62 inches
Height, top up : 69.75 inches
Height, top down : 52 inches
Engine : Ford 4 cyl L-head, 134.2 ci, 6.48:1 compression
Horsepower (net) : 54 @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission : Warner T-84J 3 speed synchromesh
Transfer case : Dana Spicer 18 2 speed
Gear Shift : Floor mounted
Axles : Spicer Dana 4.88:1 23-2 rear, Dana 25 front
Electrical System : 6v, neg ground
Wheelbase : 80 inches
Ground Clearance : 8.75 inches
Approach Angle : 45°
Departure Angle : 35°
Weight w/o gas and water : 2,337 lbs
Fording Depth : 21 inches max
Tires : 6.00×16 non-directional
1942 Ford-Willys MB, Military Jeep 4 x 4, left-hand drive (Petrol):
1956 Willy CJ3B 4 x 4, left-hand drive (Petrol):
Specifications:
G.V.W. 3500 lbs. (1587.5 kg)
Kerb weight: 2243 lbs (1017.4 kg) (2418 lbs. on M606).
Overall length: 129-29/32 in. (3.30 m)
Overall width: 68-7/8 in. (175 cm)
Overall height (top of windshield): 66-1/4 in. (169 cm.)
Tread front and rear: 48-7/16 in. (123 cm)
Wheelbase: 80 in. (203 cm.)
Front / Rear Overhang: 20.59 in. / 22.31 in.
Tailgate: 36 in. Wide x 19.25 in. High
Ground Clearance: 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Load Space: 32 in. x 52.315 in. x 14.125 in.
Engine: “Hurricane” F-head, 134 cu.in. (2.2 liter), 4 cylinders
Cooling system capacity 11 qt. (10.4 ltr.) (12 qt. with heater)
Electrical System 6 Volts, neg ground
Front axle: Dana/Spicer 25, 27 or 27A, Full-floating hypoid, Ratio: 4.27:1 (5.38:1 optional)
Rear axle: Dana/Spicer 44, Semi-floating hypoid, Ratio: 4.27:1 (5.38:1 optional)
Brakes: Hydraulic, 9 in. drum diameter x 1.75 in., 117.8 sq. in. braking area.
Clutch: 8.5 in. Auborn or Rockford single dry plate with torsional damping, 72 sq. in. area. (Optional Auborn single dry plate, 9.25 in. dia. )
Transfer case: Spicer 18, 2 speeds, 1.00:1 and 2.46:1 (26 tooth input gear and 1-1/8 in. intermediate shaft up to serial number 54-12506; 29 tooth input gear and 1-1/4 in. intermediate shaft after serial number 54-12506)
Transmission: Warner T-90 3-speed syncromesh, Ratios: 1st-3.339:1 (or 2.798:1), 2nd-1.551:1, 3rd- 1.00:1, Reverse-3.798:1
1958 Willy CJ3B 4 x 4, left-hand drive (Petrol):
Specifications:
G.V.W. 3500 lbs. (1587.5 kg)
Kerb weight: 2243 lbs (1017.4 kg) (2418 lbs. on M606)
Overall length: 129-29/32 in. (3.30 m)
Overall width: 68-7/8 in. (175 cm)
Overall height (top of windshield): 66-1/4 in. (169 cm.)
Tread front and rear: 48-7/16 in. (123 cm)
Wheelbase: 80 in. (203 cm.)
Front / Rear Overhang: 20.59 in. / 22.31 in.
Tailgate: 36 in. Wide x 19.25 in. High
Ground Clearance: 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Load Space: 32 in. x 52.315 in. x 14.125 in.
Engine: “Hurricane” F-head, 134 cu.in. (2.2 liter), 4 cylinders
Cooling system capacity 11 qt. (10.4 ltr.) (12 qt. with heater)
Electrical System 6 Volts, neg ground
Front axle: Dana/Spicer 25, 27 or 27A, Full-floating hypoid, Ratio: 4.27:1 (5.38:1 optional)
Rear axle: Dana/Spicer 44, Semi-floating hypoid, Ratio: 4.27:1 (5.38:1 optional)
Brakes: Hydraulic, 9 in. drum diameter x 1.75 in., 117.8 sq. in. braking area.
Clutch: 8.5 in. Auborn or Rockford single dry plate with torsional damping, 72 sq. in. area. (Optional Auborn single dry plate, 9.25 in. dia. )
Transfer case: Spicer 18, 2 speeds, 1.00:1 and 2.46:1 (26 tooth input gear and 1-1/8 in. intermediate shaft up to serial number 54-12506; 29 tooth input gear and 1-1/4 in. intermediate shaft after serial number 54-12506)
Transmission: Warner T-90 3-speed syncromesh, Ratios: 1st-3.339:1 (or 2.798:1), 2nd-1.551:1, 3rd- 1.00:1, Reverse-3.798:1
1960 Willys CJ3B – Extended Chassis 2 x 2, right-hand drive (Petrol):
1963 Jonga Nissan P60, 3956 CC, 4 x 4, right-hand drive (Petrol): An original Indian Army issue (hardtop)
Specifications:
Manufacturer : Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur.
Engine : 6 Cylinder, 3956cc in-line, petrol engine developing 110 HP @ 3200 RPM.
Max Torque : 26.9 mkg @ 1200 RPM.
Air Cleaner : Oil Bath with cyclonic pre-cleaner.
Clutch : Single plate dry friction type, diameter 280mm
Gear Box : Synchromesh with 3F + 1R.
Transfer Case : Two speed.
Front Axle : Fully floating, driven with birfield joints.
Rear Axle : Semi-floating, tubular with banjo housing differential.
Steering : Worm and Roller.
Brakes : Hydraulic.
Parking Brake : Contracting type on transmission.
Tyre Size : 7.00 x 16 x 6 Ply MRF NDMS
Gradeability : 30°
Min Turning Circle : 10.6 meter
Ground Clearance : 222mm
Payload Capacity : 250 kg
1958 Ambassador Mark 1 (Petrol):
The first model of ‘Ambassador’; introduced after the Landmaster production was stopped.
1966 Royal Enfield:
The last model/year of Royal Enfield that was manufactured in England before production was shifted to Madras (Chennai) India in 1967.
Last but not the least, a humble Escorts Rajdoot from the garage:
Day 2:
We were so busy clicking that we had almost become oblivious to the time – well past our scheduled time for departure for the day, we now needed a quick plan change to accommodate this ‘unplanned delay’
After a rejig, we decided that we could only make it to only Patratu Valley as a part of Day 1 itinerary. Although there was time to include another destination, we thought it was better to return by 4 PM since the estate was located in a rather unconventional location and we didn’t know the area well courtesy of being tourists.
A few pics from the morning stroll around the property followed by breakfast:
While we were driving back to the Estate, it was still a bit sunny and the last rays of the sun were clinging onto the treetops. We felt pensive at closing our first day a bit early and wished that we could have done with a couple of hours’ short drive to enjoy a nice view. However, since the popular spots were located at least a hundred kilometers away, the wish couldn’t materialize. Back at the Estate, we caught up with some evening coffee and loitered around as the chill descended in the air. Soon after, the caretaker came knocking and took us to the pleasant fireplace and laid out our delicious dinner spread – delicious would actually be an understatement for the wonderful meal we were served!
As a voracious reader, I had a strong urge of snuggling up in this cozy literary retreat with a Dan Brown or a John Grisham and immerse myself into the multiverse of a good suspense thriller. Maybe next time!
Amidst that lingering bibliosoma and a cold night, we retired to our room and called it a day.
Day 3:
Got up early and had a good sumptuous breakfast and planned to leave by 9 AM. Feasted on some toast, cheese omelets, poha, fruits, and a glass of green tea:
On this particular day, there was a group of friends who had arrived the previous night and saw a nice breakfast setting being prepped for them in the shade of a big banyan tree:
