Abode of the royals

Lalit Mohan

The cooing of pigeons and sound of their wings flapping in narrow recesses in the verandah outside heralds the dawn in Phool Mahal. This, set on a large lake, is the erstwhile residence of the rulers of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, which has now been converted into a hotel. The Gundalao Lake is itself home to several species, including geese, herons, ducks, egrets, spoonbills, cranes and flamingos from September to March, before they wing their way back to cooler climes.

The pigeons are among those who stay back. They have plenty of nesting places here. The high walls of the fort that looms behind Phool Mahal are dotted with what are literally pigeon holes. This citadel is a major attraction of the town. When producer-director Zhang Jian Ya was looking for a suitable location for shooting the first-ever Chinese film set in India, he settled on Kishangarh. The large, 460-year-old labyrinthine fort and its surroundings provided him with a setting that he considered exotic enough for his film My Amazing Trip to India. This romance thriller, was released last year in China.

A short distance from the main entrance to the fort lies Hathi Pole where visitors would dismount from their elephants, the platform on which they stepped off being on the same level as the standing mount. The Rangili Chhabili gate that comes next was the commoners’ entrance to the temple within. Close to it is the Toran Pole with its peacock motif on which the prospective bridegrooms struck their swords to proclaim their intent. Though the construction of the fort started in early 17th century, each Raja added some structures to it. Royalty lived here for many generations. There are quarters for the queens, who may have been more than one, as also for the concubines. Places where festivals were observed or weddings took place are all well marked.

Latticed windows conceal the viewing gallery from where the ladies viewed the proceedings in the durbar below.

The last marriage to be solemnised here, in 2011, was that of Vaishnavi Kumari, daughter of Brijraj Singh. He is 20th in the line of succession from the founder Kishan Singh. Yuvraj Singh, who showed me around, says, “The bride’s friends, who came from the big cities insisted on staying here rather than at any fancy hotel. So, a modern washroom was created for them here.” Otherwise, the fort retrains its pristine character all through.

The fort is built over multiple levels with secret passages and imposing ramparts from where one gets a panoramic view of the lake below. Unfortunately both this and the Phool Mahal below, which was built in 1872, need to be spruced up. The latter does have large murals in the typical Kishangarh style of painting, done by artist Yagya Prakash, but the fixtures need much improvement to come up to the standard of amenities a traveller expects today.

On an island across the lake, connected from the other side with a causeway, is the Mohkam Vilas, a spot for royal relaxation built about 150 years ago. It is in a dilapidated state but the ruins can suggest how it must have buzzed with revelry in its heyday. It can only be reached by a rough ride on a broken road — or no road in large stretches — through rundown villages. En route one passes by a small Nau Grah (nine planets) temple. Unfortunately, the priest there appeared to be hard of hearing so conversation with him was difficult. He could not tell us much. Only the gnarled trunks and twisted roots of the trees around confirmed its antiquity. It has a bathing tank with a surface which is green either because of fallen leaves or algae, or both.