Saluting The She-Roes : Mallyka Singh Dundlod

Mallyka Singh Dundlod beautifully marries rural experiences with horse-riding safaris, and much more at A Baisa’s Adventures.

Mallyka Singh Dundlod, an Experience Curator and Founder of A Baisa’s Adventures—a travel company celebrating Shekhawati legacies—lives by the mantra ‘passion is energy’ and feel the power that comes with it while focussing on what excites you.

Singh Dundlod grew up in a joint family at her ancestral home in Jaipur. Reminiscing her childhood memories with the legendary Marwari horses, she says, “I was barely six years old and riding had just started for me. These beautiful horses would come out of their stables and roam around freely in the garden at night. They would come to my window and at that moment I knew we would have a deep connection ahead.”

After studying at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Vidyashram, Jaipur, from the first to sixth grade, she was admitted to the boarding school of the prestigious Mayo College Girls’ School in Ajmer when she was 13. Then she studied hotel management at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) in Manipal.

Pushing her limits

Travel was an integral part of her life. After spending a few years in-between jobs, where she realised that marketing was her area of expertise, she decided to join the travel industry in 2015. By 2019, she was ready to make her dreams a reality and embarked on a journey independently.

An entrepreneur of royal lineage, Singh Dundlod has a passion for horse riding and the rich art and culture of Shekhawati. Launched in 2020, A Baisa’s Adventures evolved from her passion, and taught her that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

A Baisa’s Adventures curates royal experiences such as horse riding, cycling around the countryside, food and frescoes, engaging in local cultures, to put the spotlight on the culture of the region, her childhood in Dundlod Fort and her first encounters with the legendary Marwari breed of horse.

Galloping her way to success

Singh Dundlod and her father Raghuvendra Singh Dundlod run their ancestral home, Dundlod Fort as a hotel. Currently, it is a joint family ownership, out of which they run 22 keys. She tells us more. “We take pride in the fact that our guests reach out to us because of our passion for indigenous horses. We are specialists in curating experiences, and, in 1985, my father started the horse safaris. Therefore, the ‘Dundlod’ family name is synonymous with big personalities across the world.”

Singh Dundlod has a soft spot for her homeland, and felt like her roots were calling out to her to protect her lineage, heritage and culture. And, she felt that the best way to keep this alive was by engaging in it. She considers every small achievement as a huge learning.

Marwari horses are well-known for tent pegging and endurance events, and in the recent few years, she has participated twice in endurance races. She has won a gold medal in the 40-km national, silver in the 20- km international, and bronze in the 60-km state-level categories, along with a silver in national endurance races. She owes her success to her brave equine partners who work with her as a team.

Shattering stereotypes

Speaking about how she made her mark as a female entrepreneur in a man’s world, Singh Dundlod says, “I’ve never believed in this notion; but over the years, I did experience that we still live in a predominately man’s world. However, things are changing. As I grew older, like many, I had my own struggles, when it came to making choices, as they deferred from the path usually chosen by many.”

She adds, “Two prominent men in my life—my father, and my husband, Amit Chawla—have always inspired me. My life partner has always understood my dreams and stood by me. Also, we all have to earn our respect and freedom, which comes from taking responsibility for our actions. Last but not the least, we women should always keep our girlfriends close because strong and loyal women can be your biggest treasure. I’m thankful to my mother, Ganga Singh, for all the security, confidence and support that she has always given me.”

Expanding her horizons

Singh Dundlod says, “I looked deeper and realised that apart from visiting forts, palaces and havelis, there was nothing more that would pull tourists to the region. To add to it, there were just a handful of moderatelyexperienced guides. Shekhawati is known as an open art gallery, thanks to its frescoed havelis, but even then, it is not well-orchestrated for travellers. The knowledge about this region is minimal, in spite of travellers coming here for half a decade now.”

Her vision is to create a platform—a community of artisans, musicians, dancers, craftsmen and local experts. She wants to depend lesser on the fort hotel, and rather, focus on their growth. She also wants to create a meticulous curation, where travellers look forward to enjoying a slice of local life.

Singh Dundlod is grateful for her Rajput lineage, and feels fortunate to be born in the royal family of Dundlod, which is a thikana of the Shekhawati dynasty. She is the fourth generation of Rawal Thakur Harnath Singh Dundlod, and looks forward to being the custodian of this legacy.