Far from the Madding Crowd; Finding The Perfect Sanctuary in India.

Incredible India; a place of fabulous wealth and desperate poverty, famine and pestilence, a country of a thousand religions and a million gods, the birthplace of human speech, mother of history, a place of tigers and elephants of deserts and jungle, the cradle of the human race. It is a land that all desire to see. (Mark Twain.)

India is indeed all of the above and more, however sometimes it is a difficult country in which to travel. The distances (if not flying) can be vast; the heat in summer insufferable, the language barriers insurmountable and at times the human -tide overwhelming.

After five weeks travelling by road and rail across the north of the sub- continent, navigating through a phalanx of overloaded trucks and decrepit cars all the while avoiding languid cows chewing the cud lying in the middle of highways, it was time for a little solitude.

It was my ‘fixer’ who suggested a stay at the Dadhikar Fort in Aravali Hills, a mere three hours by road from New Delhi and, although he had never stayed there himself he had heard good things about the place. And so on a day in mid December I set out to find this 9th century fort, which turned out to be no easy matter.

Arriving in the city of Alwar our driver stopped several times to ask directions as the road signs seemed to have absolutely no relation to his or my maps. After much pointing and copious directions from pedestrians eager to help we wended our way out of town onto a small road that eventually deteriorated into a basic dirt track.

We persisted and eventually the track took us through a break in the hills and into a valley whose beauty would be hard to put into words. It was as if here the world had simply passed by leaving it to exist as it did hundreds of years ago however, there was no evidence of fort that we could see. A goatherd wandered by shepherding a substantial flock and, after a prolonged chat he pointed to the western slopes of the surrounding hills and there it was, clinging to the side of a steep hill a majestic structure overlooking one of the most peaceful valleys I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Constructed by the family of King Chand almost 1,100 years ago after a catastrophic flood drove his clan from his kingdom in Abhaneri it was here he set up ‘camp’ and revived his fortunes. His fortunes however must have dwindled as over the centuries the fort fell into disrepair and eventually crumbled, leaving just a pile of rocks and, if it were not for the vision of one man this story would never have been told.

When Ramji Kaushik, a middle class boy from an agriculturist family bought the ruins in 2007 from one of the heirs of King Chand, his friends and family thought him ‘deranged’. Neither the site nor the Dadhikar village at its foothill had water nor electricity, and if that wasn't enough there was no road leading to the ruins!

As he told me, “ Everybody else saw it as a derelict structure, devoid of amenities but I envisioned it as a getaway far from city life with breathtaking views.”

He researched what the original fort must have looked like, recycled the stone from the rubble, hunted down retired masons, and trained young laborers from the village to build his dream.

Soaring imperial doors were custom made in Jodhpur, Janglas sourced from Shekhawati and all the modern amenities demanded by today’s travellers were painstakingly installed.

So, not only did he restore Dadhikar Fort to its former glory, he also became the district’s largest employer giving a future to many of the impoverished men and women of the villages. And so, after eight years of backbreaking work the fort today has become a popular getaway for young couples, families and NRI’s. (Non- Resident Indians)

With 18 rooms, 3 suites, a sky palace and three tents, the fort can house up to 70 guests who, once they step through the imposing doors are transported back in time to an era when life moved at a much slower pace than it does today.

During the day an air of somnolence seems to descend upon the fort; the ticking of the clock in the lobby, the slow swirl of the ceiling fans and a distant clatter of pans from the kitchen, situated somewhere in the bowels of the building. Nothing within these walls seems to move at more than a pedestrian pace.

My room, I have to say is one of the most romantic I have ever have had the pleasure to stay in. The antique furnishings, the comfortable king size bed and the heavy drapes framing the windows have all been selected to make the average guest’s stay one they will never forget.

The windows, encased in 4ft stonewall offer breathtaking views across a valley that exists as it did hundreds of years ago. After the roar of traffic on India’s highways the only sound here is the gentle tinkling of bells tied to the necks of goats grazing on the slopes; the silence is almost deafening!

The fort provides all meals that can either be taken on one of the several terraces scattered around the premises or at night in the vast dining room found only by traversing the meandering steps to the depths of the structure. All of the staff have been recruited from the local villages and go about their tasks with quiet efficiency catering to the needs of their guests.

For those who dare to venture out of this sanctuary, the valley floor has several small villages to explore where the residents more often or not will invite you into their humble homes to take a glass of tea while their children whoop with delight trying to impress their visitors. I tarried awhile in one of the modest homes to watch, with a number of kids the latest cricket match being played in Mumbai.A short while later I pass a 'school' ; when I say school it is a collection of eager children sitting outside a building that has fallen into disrepair.

A brisk 2km walk will take you to the primitive rock art paintings in the surrounding hills dating back some 7 thousand years, which has shed some light on the prehistoric religions and culture of that era.

Dadhikar Fort is just another tiny slice of Incredible India that guarantees to revive the senses and instill an oasis of calm, far, far from the madding crowd.

First published in Asian Journeys December 2016.

Paul v Walters is a best selling novelist and when not cocooned in sloth and procrastination in his house in Bali, scribbles for several international travel and vox pop journals. His latest offering Asset is scheduled for release in late 2017.

Photography Paul v Walters