In India, most brands invest where scale promises returns. Footfalls, ROI, and cost per contact dominate conversations long before money is committed to an event IP—even when the event is positioned as ultra-luxury. Diageo India’s experiential IP, Durbar by Godawan Estuary Water, however, moves deliberately against this current. Conceived as an immersive experience rather than a scalable festival, it is rooted in conservation, culture, and craft—values that mirror the single malt it celebrates. The second edition of Godawan Durbar unfolded at Abheygarh, a hilltop palace in Khetri, set to open its doors as a luxury hotel later this year, against the quiet grandeur of Rajasthan’s Aravalli range. It was a meticulously crafted gathering of like-minded individuals—artists, conservationists, cultural custodians, and patrons—who came together to reflect and engage meaningfully in performances, conversations, materials, and meals in harmony with their surroundings.
Abhimanyu Alsisar and Praveen Someshwar |
Godawan Single Malt draws its name and purpose from the Great Indian Bustard, a near-extinct bird and a powerful symbol of India’s fragile grassland ecosystems. “Godawan is the state bird of Rajasthan and was once even considered for India’s national bird. We took it upon ourselves to work with the ecosystem here to bring it back from the brink, and we’re extremely proud of where it stands today. That is the core purpose of the brand. That’s why we keep returning to Rajasthan and drawing inspiration from the land as we build this artisanal single malt,” shares Praveen Someshwar, MD and CEO, Diageo India. Staying true to this origin, Diageo chooses Rajasthan as the setting for Godawan Durbar. Here, folk-fusion music, thoughtfully curated culinary journeys, and tastings of Godawan 01 and 02 come together to create an experience that sets new benchmarks.
Roots in heritage
Hosted by Abhimanyu Alsisar, whose work preserves Rajasthan’s cultural heritage through careful restoration. The event draws from old desert gatherings where music, crafts, and community came together in respect. “Abhimanyu has been a champion of the cause since day one. We launched Durbar with him last year, and this year we’re at a larger venue, which we’re genuinely proud of. It ticks the boxes of originality and authenticity, which every brand should aspire to,” says Someshwar.
Surat-based The Tapi Project performing at Durbar by Godawan Estuary Water |
That ethos continues here, reimagined for contemporary India. “Opening Abheygarh for Durbar Season II is deeply personal,” says Alsisar. “This is the first time our home has opened its doors to host something so intimate, and Durbar felt like the most natural way to do it through music, craft, and stories that honour the spirit of this land.” Abheygarh itself, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens while remaining anchored in Rajput architectural principles, proved to be the perfect canvas. Its debut through Durbar underscored a philosophy of access through meaning, not magnitude.
Conservation at the core
At the heart of Godawan Durbar lies conservation pivoting from the brand’s core. “Conservation is intrinsic to Godawan because Rajasthan is a land of adversity. Creating an artisanal single malt of this stature here takes immense resources. Deep within that ecosystem is a responsibility to give back more than we take. Conservation isn’t an add-on, it’s at the heart of what Godawan stands for,” adds Vikram Damodaran, Chief Innovation Officer, Diageo India. Through partnerships with wildlife experts, local NGOs, and village communities, Godawan’s conservation programme has contributed to increasing the Great Indian Bustard population from 96 to 173 birds. Durbar extends this work into the cultural realm, creating space for dialogue, awareness, and shared responsibility.
The food at Godawan Durbar explored regional intersections |
Curated by conservation biologist Dr Dharmendra Khandal, the program offered expert discussions and documentary screenings about ecology, community, and developmental crossroads. Featured was The Last Dance, directed by Vinay Chittora—an homage to the late Radheshyam Bishnoi, a bold conservationist and protector of the Godawan.
Experience as a medium
Music performances fused folk musicians with modern artists in bespoke collaborations tailored to this unique space. The second edition showcased NIMAD Live, Trilok Gurtu, The Nuqta Project, The Tapi Project, and Shye Ben Tzur with The Rajasthan Express, each attuned instinctively to the landscape, architecture, and instant.
Food emerged as cultural storytelling with Nikhil Merchant, Vernika Awal, and Jasleen Marwah highlighting regional fusions and technique-driven cooking, prioritising origin, method, and story alongside taste. Craft installations and workshops, developed in collaboration with Nila House and Boito, transformed Godwan Durbar from something to witness into something to inhabit.
Godawan Durbar does not shout. It listens to land, to culture, and to community. In doing so, it redefines luxury for contemporary India: rare, rooted, and purposeful.
Godawan Single Malt to introduce two new expressions
Diageo’s homegrown single malt, Godawan, is expanding its portfolio with Godawan 03 and 04 whiskies. Vikram Damodaran, Chief Innovation Officer, Diageo India, shares, “03 will be light and floral, and 04 full-bodied and smoky. Each expression invites exploration and personal preference.” The first two expressions, Godawan 01 and 02, are well-received whiskies. In 2025, Diageo also launched Godawan 173, a collector’s edition to mark the current population count of the eponymous avian. The success of Godawan rests on the angel’s share, the amount of liquid lost to evaporation while ageing in casks—it is at the heart of its structure and taste. “In Scotland, ageing temperatures range between 4-7⁰ C. In India, it’s between 12-20⁰ C, and in Rajasthan, it swings from 6-50⁰ C. This gives us dual ageing—at extreme heat and cold—which no other whisky-producing region can claim. which adds incredible depth, complexity, and character to the liquid,” Damodaran explains. He adds that the different whisky expressions are from a single distillate. Godawan 01 and 02 are aged in PX-Sherry and cherrywood casks, respectively. “This allows us to flex the same mother liquid into completely different flavour zones. That’s what makes it artisanal,” he adds. Additionally, the contradiction of crafting a great single malt in the desert that stands up to global palates makes the liquid and the brand unique.
