NIGHT AT THE FORT
Converted into a luxury hotel, the 230-year-old Alila Fort in Rajasthan takes Geetanjali Krishna back into the world of warriors
Itisastill, clearmorning. Therampartsof A lila Fort in Bis hang a rh, Raj as than, offer a 360- degree view of hills and the typical Ar a valli desert scrub. Itscrenellated walls are stark, offering foot hold only to pigeons that roost herein the thousands. I survey the land below and wonder if this is what warriors of yo re felt like, as they scanned the landscape and waited for enemies to huff their way up the steep granite hill, only to have boiling oilpouronthem.
Today, of course, I’ m armed with a camera and a drink, for this 230- year-old stone fort is the first garrison fort to have been converted into a luxury hotel. Staying at the newly launched A lila Fort is a bit like living inside a historical attraction one would normally cross off a sightseeinglist. However, nowitsdungeons houseaserenespa; aturrethas morphed, seemingly effortlessly, intoasmokingarea. Cellars, secret passage sand royal reception areas have been converted into elegant tea lounge sand reading rooms, while massive urns once used for storing grain sin a siege make for stunning decorations tucked into alcoves of thewell-stockedbar.
Theopeningofthe59-roomfort-hotelthis July has transformed lives in Bis hang a rh, which used to be like any other sleepy Rajasthanihamlet. Not only is most of the staff local, the chef soft he hotel pride themselves on usinglocally-growningredients. Asmy extended family, all here for a weekend together, sit down to a late lunch, I’ m delighted to find a risotto made with barley and other rural grains, beautifully come together in their Italian avatar.
There’ s plenty to explore in the fort itself, so after lunch we get a guided tour of the property. The wall soft he fort are 8-10 feet wide in places, and all rooms and restaurants have been built to fitaroundthem. Ourguide, Chaitanya, tellsus that the fort, built by the Shah pu ra-Shekh aw at clan that owed allegiance to the Jaipur royals, was built to be impregnable even though it didn’ t see war time action.
As we peer out of its windows( some set six feet into the fort’ s walls and great for watching the birds that roost there ), we can well imagine the daunting sight it must have presented to its adversaries. The old Raj puts really knew how to pick the best locations to fortify, but even so, this has been built on the best possible vantage pointinthearea.
Back in the hotel, the family gather son a circular terrace over a tower for dinner. Although October days are warm, nights in the desert are beautifully cool. The pr ix fix e menu is huge but delicious, themed around the food that hunting parties of yo re enjoyed.
The next morning, we go for a hike to explore the forests around the fort. Minutes away from the fort, fertile soil gives way to loose sand that weighs down our shoes. Theareahasa diversity of bird life: we spot several speciesofowls, swifts, treepiesand kingfishers( owing to the presence of nearby water bodies ). Below us, the ground is pockmarked with holes and bur rows. A pretty sandcoloured mouse emerges from one of them. An extended family of partridges( it reminds me a little of my own) squabbles and squawks underabush. Asweturnback, thenow-familiarsightof A lila Fort perched high on the only granite hill in the area soon comes into view again and guides us back to a relaxed breakfast.
After we return from A lila, its conservation led aesthetic stay son my mind. I chat with one ofitsowners, Jaipur-basedAtulKapur, whosays the renovations took 10 years. Tobringittoits present luxurious state has been an up hill task in every sense—don keys ferried loads up to the dilapidated, civet- andbat-riddenfort, from where staff carried them up( the lifts became functional only recently ).“Through our specially designed interior sand a campingthemed menu developed by celebrity chef RanveerBrar, we want our guests to experience lifeinafort,” he says. Having experienced the pleasures, all I can say is that while the high life in A lila Fort maybe as far from soldiering as can be, it’ s a good life all the same.