Neemrana Fort Palace

Neemrana fort palace is about 120 kms from Delhi, on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. It has now been converted to a luxurious hotel. We had heard a lot about the beauty and the grandeur of the palace. One weekend, agroup of us decided to find it out for ourselves.

We left Noida early in the morning, in two cars, picking up other friends from Delhi and Gurgaon. It was quite hot, and we encountered a lot of traffic on the roads till Gurgaon. However, after we crossed Gurgaon, driving was a pleasure. The highway was smooth, and the view quite scenic. After we reached Neemrana, which is just a small village, we had some difficulty in finding the way to the fort, and a lot more in reaching there. The fort is built atop a small hill, and the only accessis through a narrow, steep lane through the crowded village market.

Our first view of the fort was enchanting. The entrance was through a high arched gateway. A small walk led us to the palace building. There is a small garden, built on multiple levels.

The Terrace Garden

By the side of the main entrance to the building is a large terrace, from where we got a view of the entire village, and beyond. In pleasant weather it would have been a wonderful experience to sit on this terrace.

View of the City from the Fort

Inside, a passageway led us to a hall which was converted to a lobby. Some swing chairs were set there, and some rooms opened into it. Yet another passage led us to a terrace where there was another lobby and a small restaurant. Here we had some refreshments and relaxed for some time.

Thereafter we set out to explore the fort. There is the old, original part of the fort, whose rooms are converted into the hotel rooms. Instead of the numbers, the rooms are identified by names - each name has the word "mahal" (palace) (I can recall a few - tara mahal, tulsi mahal, radha mahal, surya mahal). The rooms didn't really look so grand - the names were just to add a touch of royalty. The halls have been
converted to lobbies, dining halls or recreational areas.

The Old Fort

There is also a renovated/reconstructed extension (and more construction is in progress), which is built in the spirit of the original fort in appearance, but mostly houses facilities like swimming pool, gym, dining halls, conference halls, etc.

The Renovated Part of the Fort

Numerous passages, stairs, corridors form a maze through out the fort, which is sprawled over a large area on the hill, at many different levels. We explored quite a few of these passages and a large part of the fort - entering at one point and exiting from totally unexpected point, climbing up and down many staircases, losing our way a few times, walking through the gardens, reaching a open hall from where we could see a large tank (baoli) - it was a tiring but thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The heat took its toll, and we were exhausted. So we lounged on the sofas and chairs in one of the lobbies; some of us even dozed off. Refreshed, in spirit and in body, by late afternoon, we were ready to return.