May 2014 | national GeoGraphic traveller inDia 135

Short breakSRajasthan

Just under two hours after leaving

Jodhpur airport, we reach the

nondescript town of Nagaur. As our

car trundles past a railway crossing,

there isn’t much to see except cycle and

auto mechanic shops. Suddenly, the golden

ramparts of Ahhichatragarh Fort appear

before us. We enter through the imposing

Sireh Pol and are back in the 18th century.

Nagaur was put on the tourist map when

Ahhichatragarh Fort, which dates back to the

4th century, was restored over many years

by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust that owns

it. It is now the site of the World Sufi Spirit

Festival, held every February.

Legend has it that the 16 queens of

Maharaja Bakhat Singh, who ruled in the

mid-18th century, lived in the ten havelis that

make up the Zenana Mahal. The mahal has

now been converted into a small boutique

hotel called Ranvas or the abode of ranis.

In contrast to the arid landscape all

around, the palace complex has beautifully

laid out Mughal-style gardens with water

channels, fountains, and lotus pools. Around

it are pavilions, palaces, and courtyards.

The havelis are close together, so the

narrow paths between them are always in

the shade. As we walk on the cobbled paths,

we are greeted at every corner by bowing

turmeric-turbaned staff. The juxtaposition of

domes and arches and the carefully tended

plants makes me feel like I have fallen into

a miniature painting.

Each haveli has a courtyard flanked by a

pavilion with two or three bedrooms around

it. I am shown my elegant room in Jhaliji ki

haveli, which has four bedrooms. My room

is cool and quiet and decorated with textile

designer Brigitte Singh’s exquisite block-

printed fabrics. An old wooden chest makes

a handsome bedside table and someone has

thoughtfully placed a stack of books on it.

The bedrooms on the lower level all

face inward—they were once the zenana,

designed to keep the ranis away from prying

eyes. Suites on the terrace look out over the

domes of the havelis and the ramparts of

the fort and are a wonderful place to enjoy

sunrise and sunset.

I wander out from my haveli and find

myself in a stunning courtyard planted

with banana, frangipani, and flowering

piloo trees. A small grove of pomegranate

bushes and tinkling water fountains separate

the swimming pool from this courtyard,

providing guests privacy.

On the far side of the courtyard, a dining

pavilion has awnings in orange leheriya

tie-dye. An interesting mix of Indian and

Western dishes make up the menu. I enjoy

the innovative mezze platter, which comes

with different “dips” like baingan ka bharta

and raita served with crisp bajra bhakri.

Impeccable service from the staff, and a

respectful “hukum” uttered at the end of

my every request, make me feel like quite

the maharani.

Everywhere I look, something takes my

breath away—an old stone wall covered

with fuchsia bougainvillea, a vain peacock

admiring itself in the lily pond, the leaves of

the neem tree fluttering in the breeze.

For the active traveller, the hotel manager

will organise a fort walk, village hike, or

a tour of the conservation efforts at the

fort, but I find a great way to make lasting

memories at Ranvas: I wander around with

my sketchbook making small drawings and

adding little splashes of colour. The highlight

of my trip is an evening stroll around the

palace complex, when the golden light

from the sinking sun sets the marble and

sandstone walls ablaze. It takes me back to

an era when the pace of life was gentler and

medieval Rajasthan was at the peak of its

cultural glory. n

STAY

Travel back in time at Ranvas, the hotel inside Nagaur’s Ahhichatragarh Fort By MaMta Dalal MangalDas | photographs by nEIl gREEntREE

the VItaLS

ranvas is 127 km/2 hours northeast of Jodhpur airport. the hotel can arrange a pick up. there are a total of 33 rooms in three different categories, priced between `13,000 and `19,000 per night including breakfast (ranvasnagaur.com).

Abode of queensRajasthan

Ranvas

Jodhpur