It’s not every
day you get to live in a Fort Palace. The four days at Tijara fuse into a haze
of long, relaxing days. I swiftly blend into the Princess lifestyle and simple
pleasures – sitting with a book in the open or lazing in the hammock near the
poolside where I take in breath-taking views with every sip of my Masala Chai.
It is sheer delight to unwind in such fashion.
A WARM WELCOME
We sweep up the
hilly driveway, metres from sprawling green land. The smart doorman greets me
at the entrance, makes me sanitize my hands and checks my temperature. Good
first impressions? I would say they succeed. From my arrival in the grand
foyer, filled with an old world charm and craftsmanship I am swept into another
world. The ‘Kaanch Mahal’ adjacent to the lobby grabs my attention immediately
and beckons me to stop by for lunch before I actually head up to my room (read
palace). I am absolutely refreshed after a delicious Rajasthani meal of local
vegetables and a light chicken curry! Tijara Fort Palace…now we are talking!
HISTORY
There’s a rare
charisma about staying at a property, which has stories from the 19th century.
This fortress non hotel is an unfinished brilliance of three structures, built
in the Rajput-Afghan grace with initial colonial stimuli: the Mardana for the
royal men, the Rani Mahal for the maharanis and a desire palace on the brink of
a plateau, watching a water body called the Hawa Mahal, palace of winds. Thus
staying here makes for a great weekend getaway as it offers the exclusive
chance to wake up in a once incomplete and uninhibited palace that has now been
tenderly reinstated and made into a dream. It makes you step back in time
and carousal in the splendours and mysteries of the past.
FOOD
The acme of my sojourn here, apart from the character and the view, is absolutely the food. Lingering through a meal is one of the vital experiences here. Somehow we just remain longer over the same amount of food; the ever smiling restaurant staff seems in no hurry to whisk us out. Nothing can be more imperative than relishing one’s meal, they think at Neemrana’sTijara Fort Palace, and they do so correctly, I feel.
MOOD
Race for the top
spot amid Delhi’s around town staycations is fierce, a continuous battle of
one-upmanship as each vies to out-wow the others and shove the boundaries. Who
knows what will come up with next, but for the time being Tijara Fort Palace
must assuredly have the number one spot. Personally, they have me with the
amazing culture blended in everything so beautifully! What a time to be alive!
FAST
FACTS
19th Century
-Tijara Fort-Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan
Distance from
Delhi? 100
kms
Tel: 0124-
4666 166 (8 am to 8pm)/ +91 9587885003
Email: tijara@neemranahotels.com
My story first published in Asian Community News
