Royal grandeur

Perched on top of a granite hillock in the midst of a vast expanse of the Aravalli Range, surrounded by hills dotted with havelis, villages and temples, Alila Fort Bishangarh is the result of the adaptive reuse of a 230-year-old warrior fort into one of India’s most unique heritage properties.

Built during Rajasthan’s royal era as an outpost guarding the kingdom of Jaipur (Amber) against invaders from the North, the fort at Bishangarh had long outlived its original purpose.

Almost a decade ago, as the fort stood abandoned in a dilapidated condition, inhabited by thousands of bats and monkeys, the owners - a Rajput leader by birth and election and two successful entrepreneurs - together with Alila took a visionary decision to breathe new life into its reincarnation as a boutique resort, while maintaining its stark sanctity.