Royal adventures at Neemrana Palace near Delhi

This centuries old fort , now a resort, Neemara Palace near New Delhi, is the perfect outing with friends or family.

by S Preet Kaur

Neemrana

Barely two hours from the Indian capital, this centuries old fort, now a resort, is a perfect plan for your weekend. Live like a royal, enjoy the quiet surroundings and even try a little bit of adventure.

Neemrana, here we come

Turn up the music in your car and hit the road. Neemrana fort is on the busy Delhi-Jaipur highway. You can get there by car, bus, bike or taxi. It is situated in the historical town of Alwar in Rajasthan, India, just 125 kms from Delhi. The fort is surrounded by the Neemrana village.
During the drive you will have mustard fields and the Aravalli hills range to give you perfect scenery. After some time, you will find Neemrana village on your right. A few minutes drive into the village and you will spot the resort, up there in the mountains. Perfectly camouflaged in the hills, this pale Neemrana fort seems very small from a distance. But looks can be deceptive.

Drive up to the fort
Now come rocky winding roads. The bumpy ride up the hill is fun . You see small century old houses, as if straight out of Hindi films from the sixties. All the dialogues and scenes come alive- the poor village girl being tortured by the munim (accountant) of the village, the young village boy swearing to avenge the death of his parents by a dacoit (you might hum songs from the Hindi movie Karan Arjun, if you have seen it, you’ll know what I mean).
Anyway, back to the trip, a few twists and turns and you are there. Park your car and get ready!

Blast from the past- enter Neemrana

A big entrance welcomes you and you know- it ain’t that small. The fort is much bigger than it seems. As you enter the Fort, it suddenly dawns upon you that your surroundings are now different. The honking of cars has been replaced by the chirping of birds and call of peacocks. The hustle and bustle of the city is far away and you are in the lap of nature. There is a sense of calm all around. Just after entering, you see relics from the past- the vintage car of the

royals, a doli and old statues. After a huge tunnel like hallway you are inside the Fort.

You go back in time the moment you step inside a small room with old but fancy furniture, doors with carvings and inlay work, antiques and paintings. Overwhelming! This room overlooks the green mountains, the Aravallis. The room is attached to an open terrace with a lotus pond and a few chairs to enjoy the view. Sit there and relax. Your reverie of thoughts is stopped by screams echoing in the mountains. Well, these are screams of excitement and you know it's time to have some fun. Let the magic unfold.

Adventures at Neemrana

the top of the mountain, trekking all the way with your trainer. After a little bit more training and a gentle push, there you are, hanging in the air between two hills. You are gushing against

the wind, going from one peak to another. Down there, you see the village, the fort, the mountain and the trees. You are flying with the birds at your side. It is surely an experience. For more adventures, you can try the camel rides in the nearby hillocks.

Explore Neemrana

The fort is built on nine levels or sections, each having a different name and wide range of views. It is a 14th century fort. The place was ruled by Chauhans till India’s indepence in 1947. It got its name from a local chieftain named Nimola Meo. It turned into a heritage resort in 1986. Many royals have turned their forts and palaces into resorts, after India became a democratic country. This was a move to maintain these big palaces and have the money coming in. So did Neemrana. The staff at the palace told us that the royal family that owns this place lives abroad.

After becoming a resort, it welcomed people for marriages, functions, parties, honeymoon and holidaying. They organize marriages that can surely surprise you. For holidaying, go in winter when the sun is kind, that is from October to March. Staying here is quite affordable.You can even go and come back in a day.

Evenings at Neemrana

After you have had your share of adventures, go and relax by the pool. Enjoy the scenic beauty and munch on the snacks being served in silver cutlery by typical royal helpers in uniform with big moustaches. Watch the sun set behind the Aravallis, sipping wonderful coffee, listening to melodious folk music and enjoying the dance by folk dancers. Here, time stands still and royalty prevails.

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Taste of Rajasthan- Rabri

A Delicious Sweet Dish-  Each region in Rajasthan has its popular traditional food -Mirchi bada, pyaz ki kachori and doodh ladoos from Jodhpur, malpuas from Pushkar, bhujia, papad and rasogullas from Bikaner, mishri mawa, ghevar and rabri, from Jaipur. 

A speciality of Rajasthan is the batti, the vatya of Sanskrit, and a hand-roasted ball of wheat, which is cracked open and eaten with plenty of ghee. Crisp rotis, called bhakri, of bajra and jowar are also made on a griddle, and there is even a besan roti with a little wheat flour added to the dough. In fact, in Rajasthan, besan and mung dal flour are the base batters for a whole series of crisp-fried savories like the mangodi, gatti and papdi (sometimes consisting of fenugreek).There are thin and thick papads called khelada, stuffed kachori and vada and dahi vada, besides spicy farsan snacks resembling those of adjacent Gujarat. Many vegetables are sun-dried for a year and then used as gattey-ka-saag, just like certain berries (like kair and Debra), fruits (bijoda), stems and roots (garmar) and even certain aromatic twigs (sanghar). Even many sweets are pulse-based products like besan-barfi, sheera of mung dal and churma laddoos. Generally, Rajasthani curries are a brilliant red but they are not as spicy as they look. Most Rajasthani cuisine uses pure ghee (clarified butter) as the medium of cooking. A favourite sweet dish called lapsi is prepared with broken wheat (Dalia) sautéed in ghee and sweetened. Perhaps the best-known Rajasthani food is the combination of dal, bati and churma (dal is lentils; bati is baked wheat ball; and churma is powdered sweetened cereal), but for the adventurous traveler, willing to experiment, there is a lot of variety available. Besides, each region is distinguished by its popular sweet - Mawa Kachori from Jodhpur, Alwar ka Mawa, Malpuas from Pushkar, Rasogullas from Bikaner, Ghevar from Jaipur to name a few Contrary to the accepted belief, the people of Rajasthan also eat non vegetarian food. The unique creation of the Maharaja of Salwar is the Junglee Maas. Junglee maas was a great favourite among the Maharajas and due to the scarcity of exotic ingredients in the camp kitchen, the game brought in from the hunt was simply cooked in pure ghee, salt and plenty of red chillies. However, now this dish has been adapted to the less controversial ingredients like kid/lamb, pork or poultry. The personal recipes of the royal Khansama still rotates around their generations and are the highlights of regal gatherings. Each state of Rajasthan had their own style of the recipes, and is continued in the Rajput households. The males of the family prepared the non-vegetarian delicacies in the family. Some of the Maharajas apart from being great hunters relished the passion of cooking the hunted animal (shikar) themselves for their guests. The Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war -like lifestyle of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this region. Cooking in Rajasthan has its own distinctive taste and the simplest ingredients go into the preparation of most dishes. Dearth of water and fresh green vegetables has had a huge impact on the cooking of Rajasthan especially in the desert areas of Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Barmer. Instead of water the women prefer to use milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Dried lentils and beans from indigenous plants are used liberally. Gram flour is a major ingredient and is used to make delicacies like khata, ghatta ki sabzi and pakodi. The staple grains of Rajasthan are bajra and corn, which are used to make rotis, rabdi and kheechdi. The popular chutneys of Rajasthan are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic. Natural and Geographical Influence Rajasthan is a desert region, therefore, food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred, more out of necessity than choice. Insufficiency of water and fresh green vegetables has a great impact on the cooking practices. In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks make minimum use of water and prefer to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like Sangri, Ker etc. are used generously. Eating Practices The personal eating choices of people vary a lot. The Rajput warriors were inclined towards hunting, and cooking the game at night. The Vaishnavas, followers of Krishna, were strictly vegetarian, just like the Bishnois, a community - known for their passion to conserve both animal and plant life. Even among Rajputs, there were enough royal kitchens where only vegetarian food was cooked. The Marwaris of Rajasthan also eat vegetarian food, but their cuisine, is richer in its method of preparation when compared to the Rajputs. The Jains are not only vegetarians, but also the ones who do not eat after sundown, and whose food is devoid of garlic and onions that are, otherwise, important ingredients in the Rajasthani pot.

As the day ended we tasted Rajasthani sweet dish Rabri, thick milk dessert, popular especially in North India. The traditional method is rather elaborate and requires full attention. We need 4 liters of milk, 1 can condensed milk, Cardamom powder, Chopped blanched Almonds, any other dry fruit you want to put , pinch of saffron, Rose water, Ghee. Now if you want to know how to make it, here is instant recipe. Grease the non stick pan with ghee and add milk. Ob medium flame bring to biol and keep stirring. .When the milk is  thick in consistency and is reduced to 1/4th of its original quantity,it is ready. Add condensed milk, elaichi powder, dry fruits,  rose water and  saffron. Let it cool down. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

(also publshed in global website- suite 101.com- south asia travel)