Nurtured over the years under the guidance of Subrata Roy, managing chairman of the Sahara India Pariwar, the city has been conceived as a residential paradise, set against the natural scenic beauty of lakes and valleys.

Expected to be among the top five travel destinations in the world upon completion, the city features a nature park, with huge twin gates, that allows residents to relive the regal experience of the legendary Koyarigarh Fort. There are also four shimmering man-made lakes and 11 water bodies.

In addition to the exquisitely designed gardens and parks, with scenic flower beds flanking the fencing and the borders, there are cascading waterfalls meandering through picturesque water courses. A variety of exotic fountains add a touch of regality to the city. Already operational is the Supreme Fountain, which boasts a jet of water that shoots 36 meters into the air; the Jewel Fountain; the Pyramid Fountain, and the Dome Fountain.

Amidst all the splendor, the city offers its future residents a choice of one of three homes. First, there are the villas, with multiple designs and floor plans in each residence, which blend well with an international lifestyle, together with architectural specifications that merge well with nature and the cityscape.

Also available in any of 100 enclaves are Swiss-influenced timber chalets, with one, two or three bedrooms, made from factory-treated raw materials for stronger resilience to Indian conditions.

The enclaves, incidentally, will have a multi-cuisine restaurant that can accommodate 80, and a bar that can seat 20. Additionally, there will be a bar deck and a separate tea deck, both of which can serve up to 20 people.

Finally, located right at the edge of the Western Ghats Golf Course, and accessible by golf cart, are the luxury golf apartments which offer singular views of the golf course. With classy interiors, these apartments provide the option of two and three bedrooms and a penthouse.

For avid golf enthusiasts, the complex maintains a 7,100-yard par 72 championship golf course spread over 250 acres, giving a commanding view of the Sahayadri range, designed and approved for championship play by both the PGA Design Center and the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland.

The player who wants to hone his golfing skills before tackling the course can attend the Sahara PGA Golf Academy, complete with a pro-shop and multi-cuisine restaurant and bar, where coaches provide them with state-of-the-art professional training based on the Golf Analysis System for Professionals.

Since no city is complete without a mall, the Amby Valley Sahara Lake City has its own Lakeview Shopping Center replete with world-renowned brands in eclectic designer apparel, choice fashion accessories, unique art and sculpture, as well as a breathtaking array of opulent furnishings and carpets.

In addition to its open-air food court serving vegetarian Indian savories, the center further offers winning sportswear and equipment, essential aromatherapy ranges, precious gem and costume jewelry, renaissance and contemporary furniture, the legendary wools of Kashmir, and the latest electronics.

The business center, for those who insist on working even though they have gotten away from it all, has fiber-optic connectivity, the choice of several conference and seminars rooms, international multi-media presentation equipment with high-end sound and visual systems, and the latest communication technologies. Plans for a 1,000-seat convention center are in the pipeline.

The city also has its own airstrip capable of handling small aircraft operations, and work is already in progress to expand the facilities to a full-fledged airport capable of handling contemporary jet aircraft. Connections to Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Goa and Ahmedabad will be available through Sahara Air later this year.

The city has plans for a completely functional interim hospital staffed with qualified medical personnel able to provide general and specialist services, 24-hour emergency services, as well as an intensive cardiac care unit, a high-end dental set-up, physiotherapy facilities, and diagnostic facilities with digital X-ray, mammography, a high-tech ambulance facility and air evacuation.

An economic zone, located eight kilometers from the Amby Valley Sahara Lake City, is also in the works. Once completed, it will have a park for business process outsourcing, a call center and secretarial services center, an export promotion center, a diamond and jewelry design center, an Indian handicrafts center, a center for global fashion and textile designers, and a 30-acre multi-specialty health care destination for top Indian and international hospitals to create a base for returning NRI doctors.

Those who have visited the Amby Valley Sahara Lake City have come away awe-struck. "I thought I knew everything. I thought I had seen everything. I thought I had everything. Till I came here," remarked Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. "I'm not the most beautiful one in the world," said former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. "This place is."

The Sahara India Pariwar, a 50,000-crore rupee diversified conglomerate based in Lucknow, India, with a variety of business interests in public deposit mobilization, housing, aviation, media and entertainment, takes pride in being not just a business enterprise but an emotionally integrated family with over six lakh members.

The Pariwar started 25 years ago with a small savings venture having an asset of just 2,000 rupees and only three members. Today, it is a major corporate identity having an asset base of over 50,000-crore rupees and 1,707 establishments across the nation.

The state government of Maharashtra and the Sahara Group signed an agreement in November of 2003 to develop the estimated 500-crore rupees city, the first phase of which is expected to be completed in mid-2005.

After the agreement was signed, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee allayed fears that the project would in any way disturb the ecological balance. "We want to assure everyone concerned about the Delta's ecology that our project has been designed in such a way that it would rather enhance the ecological balance than hamper it," he told the Statesman.

To date, nearly 10,000 people have visited the Amby Valley Sahara Lake City, where they have been entertained by large-scale productions and events at its 1,000-seat theater, where the show quality was enhanced by its international-class lighting and audio systems.

As part of its campaign to attract attention to its uniqueness, the city will host the Mrs. World contest, renowned for its competitive celebration of married women's contribution to their country and society, during a Feb. 26 two-hour prime time telecast on PAX TV.