There are 30 thousand forts, large and small, strewn all over India and considerable concern had been expressed in the past, as to their condition, as the Archaeological Survey of India / other heritage groups do not have sufficient money to maintain them. But, of late, at least the smaller of the forts, with an area of 30 thousand square feet or less, are having a renewed lease of life, as the hotel industry seems to be keen to convert them into hotels.

The forerunner of all these heritage fort hotels is the Neemrana Fort Hotel in Rajasthan, which has been reclaimed from oblivion by the famous duo Aman Nath and Francis Warziaq. In 1986, during a research tour of the Shekhawati region in Rajasthan for a book, they stumbled upon the ruins of the 15th century Neemrana fort, which sat atop a hill, overlooking the Aravalli range. One look at it,the duo realized that it could be converted into a heritage hotel. But the fort was in such a bad condition, that when they checked up with its owner, the Raja of Neemrana, he confessed that he had been trying to sell it off for 40 years, as he did not have the resources to maintain it. As such, when Aman Nath offered him rupees ten lakhs, the Raja gladly accepted it. The restoration began in 1986 and then went from rebuilding to also extending its gardens, terraces and public areas as well as adding two pools and the spa and the final conversion will end only by the winter of 2009, at a cost of 140 million rupees... The property covers 25 acres and the stepped palaces of this architectural jewel, cut into the hillside to sprawl over three acres rises to 10 levels, commanding the most splendid views. The ruins of this fort have been sensitively restored and reconstructed. The rooms are furnished with an eclectic mix of traditional Indian and colonial furniture, antiques and objets d’art. Most rooms have private balconies or terraces and the loos are designed to have views! In 1991, Neemrana opened its doors to guests with only 12 rooms. In 1997, it was the first Indian hotel to be chosen by the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World and it was its only member in India for three years. Today, a night in this 15th-century Rajasthani fort costs between Rs 2200 to 6600. Neemrana even attracts charter flights of Europeans who spend a long week-end there and fly back. In fact, next to the famous lake Palace Heritage Hotel of Udaipur, the Neemrana Fort Hotel is the most well known to the tourist world

The success of Aman Nath and Warziaq in converting the ruined fort into a superb heritage hotel opened the eyes of many fort owners/ entrepreneurs and today, there is a scramble to acquire small size forts to make them superb properties. While Neemrana sold for Rs 10 lakh in 1986, today forts are more expensive, given the real estate scenario and the success of the heritage hotel movement . In the year 2000, Ajabgarh Fort, near Alwar, with 25 rooms spread over 3,000 sq yards, sold for only Rs 80 lakh, less than a flat in a posh Jaipur neighbourhood. Today you cannot get a fort for less than 5 crores, depending on its location and most of these properties range anywhere from Rs 10 crores to more than Rs 100 crore. “The trend is on in a big way. The heritage movement has become the USP for India. Just everybody wants to add a heritage fort property in their portfolio,” said Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur and added, “The Indian Heritage Hotel Association started with 12 members in 1990. Now we are 150 – with membership as far and wide as in Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. And there is always a queue for entry into the fold, as we don’t take in anyone so easily”.

The ruins of the 242-year-old Ahilya fortress on the banks of river Narmada, in the town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh, has been fashioned since 2001 into the 14-room Ahilya Fort Hotel, as a quiet, all-inclusive retreat by its owner Richard Holkar, scion of the Indore Holkars. Within the fort there are pretty courtyards and verandahs on different levels and linked by stone walkways. There’s a large garden, plenty of hidden terraces and turrets, a swimming pool and it’s a huge place to wander around. It is an extraordinary and unusual place, where you really can get away from it all and experience a very different side of India, all the while being looked after in true style by the genial host, Richard Holkar (should he be in residence).

Go to Devi Garh in Rajasthan. The formidable exterior of this 18th-century Rajput palace-fort, towering over the tiny village at its base, remains unchanged. But step inside and you’ll find a totally reinvented minimalist interior, with 14 floors transformed into 23 chic suites (with 18 more opening soon) that have clearly utilized the talents of the best young Indian designers.

The 300 year old Jadhavgadh fortress – built by the Marathas three hundred years ago – is just about 21 kilometres away from Pune and has been a heritage site for those interested in the glories of the Maratha empire. Hotelier Vithal Kamat of the famed Vithal Group has leased the fort for 40 years and has transformed it into an environmental asset and weekend getaway.

Sant Singh Chatwal, the famous American hotel magnate, has plans to convert the Gobindgarh fort in Amritsar into a 7-star hotel (which will also have a Sikh museum), as the city of the Golden Temple still does not have a world class hotel.

But there are some basic rules the fort owners find it necessary to follow during the conversion of the old strongholds into hotels. The ambience of the old buildings has to be respected. You cannot hurry and you cannot standardize and your love for aesthetics is important when changes have to be made. Eventually, since the whole exercise is to honour history, a knowledge of history is essential.

The main problem is termite infestation and exhaustive and expensive anti-termite treatment is necessary, as also re-laying the wooden supports in the ceilings, that are at times up to 28’ high, which is not easy! Then again is the necessity to create the many toilets/bathrooms for the guests ( as many as the guest rooms plus), without the drainage pipes damaging the building’s exterior.

The key concern is to restore the fort to its former grandeur without tampering with the architecture and character of the building and once the fort owner succeeds in it, he can laugh all the way to the bank.

MJ Raju