Tijara Fort is a fairytale ‘fort – palace’ perfect for a weekend getaway.
My mom and I had planned on visiting this heritage resort for lunch and ended up staying overnight.
Such was the magnetic presence of this place. A lunch visit wasn’t enough for us to take in the beauty. And unlike some other fort resorts, the rooms here are quite modern and include all the comforts associated with a luxury hotel including luxury bedding.
Tijara Fort- Palace is a great weekend getaway as it offers the unique opportunity to wake up in a once unfinished and abandoned palace that has now been lovingly restored and made into a dream.
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History of Tijara fort
This fort was conceptualised by Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh who was the king of Alwar. After his death, his son Maharaja Balwant Singh started the construction of this Fort-Palace in 1835.
However, due to Maharaja Balwant Singh’s premature death and lack of an heir, the construction could not be completed. The abrupt stoppage of work at Tijara Fort Palace left stones remaining all over the property grounds.
The place was abandoned with foliage all over which made the fort inaccessible due to which the once royal palace became a notorious hiding place for criminals. There would be some trekkers who would climb up for the panoramic views, but that was about it from tourist point of view.
It was definitely not a family picnic spot.
The unfinished fort where no royal ever lived got a fresh beginning when Neemrana group of hotels took over the ruins on a lease from the government in early 2000.
Undoubtedly, a lot of work had to be done to convert this once upon a time monument turned ruin into a luxury hotel. It took ten years before the site was made habitable, opening its doors to guests in January 2016.
Main structures
At the time of the takeover by Neemrana group, there were three main structures.
Mardana Mahal
This was where the king would have conducted his day to day operations. It has an open approach and is situated away from the rest of the buildings.
Nowadays, this entire mahal is a favourite with wedding planners as you can cordon off this entire building. The building now has 41 rooms which can be used to house all the guests. Perfect for that fairy tale wedding.
The rooms at Mardana mahal have been styled by leading male designers, artists, and aesthetes.
Rani Mahal
This would have been the private residence for the royal family.
It now consists of 21 suites and rooms named after India’s leading lady painters whose work is featured in these rooms.
Hawa Mahal
This ‘palace of winds’ was to be the place for all cultural activities.
Currently, this is a reception area for this luxury hotel.
At the time of our visit, we could see acres of green fields around the fort (especially from the terrace of Hawa Mahal) and as per our guide, most of these fields were that of mustard and would be bright yellow during the harvesting season (December-February).
