Kesroli is a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district and the Hill Fort Kesroli stands tall all the way since the 14th century. The roots lead back to their founders “Yaduvanshi Rajputs” who claim to be descendants of Lord Krishna. This mesmerizing piece of heritage has been nurtured back to it’s glorious state by the Neemrana Hotels who appreciate history and they believe in preserving it in the most authentic way possible to give it a Non-Hotel Hotel look.
Right from the first sight, this cozy fort will make you feel completely at peace. Smiling faces with folded hands will welcome you the minute you get down from your car. A cute passage with stairs leads you up from the foot of the fort just as you see in the period films. When you step into their rooms, you will get to witness the grandeur of this place and how they actually lived in that era.
Our room “Naruka Burj” was right above the pool and we had a huge rooftop garden adjoining our room facing the mustard fields, Aravali hills and a private entrance that led us to the poolside area. This is one of the grandest turret rooms of Kesroli Hill Resort and a party of 4 can easily stay here it is that huge.
Love how Neemrana has retained the vibe of this place. Sitting on the terrace with their chai and brownies waiting for the sun to set, was an experience to cherish for LIFE!! Don’t forget to relish their homemade fresh jams with hot and crisp toasts!!
Their rooms have been spread across the ground floor, first floor and two levels below the pool area too. The interior gardens in the Mardana and Zenana quarters are perfect for your evening stroll. Hill Fort Kesroli is surrounded by lush greenery inside as well as on the outside.
We loved trying out different cuisines and fresh vegetation that is known to particular territories and regions in Rajasthan. One of the main USP’s of the Neemrana properties is that you get to relish the local cuisines along with the fresh products known in that particular area.
We enjoyed the North-Indian cuisine as much as the Continental and Italian dishes. The chefs are trained to whip up almost anything your heart desires. All their meats come in from a French Farm and Neemrana believes in serving food as fresh as you can get as they do not like to deep freeze any food item for long. You will know the difference in the taste as compared to our usual city food.
Their poolside restaurant looks completely different during the night and you can choose to have a candle-lit dinner under the stars if you wish or prefer to sit inside. I absolutely love the colour palette of the restaurant and the white window panes covered with see-through white curtains, that ensure there is plentiful of light all around you. Our highlight of the trip was a 2 hour-long interaction with Wing Commander Mr. Magal SinghJi himself. Other than being an owner of the property, he gave us a peek into the history and the story behind the magnificent Hill Fort Kesroli.
Back in the day when the fort was in ruins and abandoned, the owners lived in a small section and didn’t really know how to go about maintaining the place. Until Neemrana Hotels came to it’s rescue, Mangal SinghJi says – This is the best thing to have happened to Hill Fort Kesroli. This wouldn’t have been possible without Mr. Aman NaathJi’s help. So much of history, culture and tradition are packed up in this one place that words cannot do justice.
One of the most memorable times was when one of the couple staying there got talking to us and invited us to join in on their anniversary celebrations. Their Kesroli Hill Fort stay was a surprise gift from their kids and they asked Salman and me to join in on the cake cutting. These travelling experiences are for keeps and this happens with us almost on all our trips.
Getting to know people, understanding their love for travel and how two journeys collide is something that excites me. Trust me, this place is ideal for such breaks, getaways and escape from our mundane hectic life. This property is especially suitable for anyone looking for spending some alone time with peace and tranquility with your loved ones.
I would recommend the Signature Neemrana massage from their spa as it is one of the best detoxifying massages I have ever had. Diving into the pool is an experience with cool breeze, clouds floating by in the reflection and the fort standing tall right next to you. There are so many places to be explored that are just a drive away from Kesroli Fort Palace. The city palace which is a must visit was once home to Alwar’s rulers and now it has been converted into government offices.
You can still see the structures and an era of a magical lost past along with the Sagar Tank and the pavilion still there. The basic architecture remains unchanged but I truly hope the Government takes the maintenance seriously and it pains to see such a historical structure fade away.
We also dropped by at “Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri” which is a beautiful Cenotaph in Alwar. It is situated right outside the main palace of Alwar and Vinay Singh built it in the loving memory of Alwar’s ruler, Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh and his queen, Rani Moosi after she committed ‘sati’ (self immolation on her husband’s death).
This double-storeyed structure looks breathtakingly beautiful with Aravali hills in the background and the chaatri (made using pillared sandstone) shelters both the tombs of the King and Queen. The top floor too is covered with mythological paintings and it is carved completely in marble. We did not want to leave from here and this place is truly is magical.
We were so looking forward to our visit to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, which is just 9 kms from the hotel, but unluckily for us it was closed on that day since they had some on-going maintenance work post the rains. Best time to travel, I would say the Winters.
A special thank you to Mr. Vipulji and the entire team for making us feel at home.
Book your stay at Hill Fort Kesroli – Website
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The Untourists
Wow. Its so beautiful! I have only seen the fort hotel from a distance, never bene to this one…