Kumbhalgarh Fort, A new hill-station of Rajasthan, offering rural tourism too

Do you know that the British Raj officers wanted to save their skin from scorching sun and spent summer months over the hills to embrace balmy climate,  process files and have some gin-tonic in evenings. That is how most hill-stations in India were rooted. Indian gentry follows in their footpaths to this day. But then, are you aware how many hill-stations were set up post-independence period? Kumbhalgarh is one such hill station, answers Harsh Vardhan who recently visited this place amid lockdown and shared this write-up with EBNW…

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Located amidst dense Aravalli Hills, Rana Kumbha (1433-1468) had created Fort Kumbhalgarh at a time when Chittor had become battle-weary.  An invincible niche was selected by this illustrious ruler who rose to prominence by mitigating threats from alien invaders from all directions. He wielded his sword well, the reason no battle occurred here. Rana Pratap, the celebrity in mediaeval Indian pantheon, was born in this fort.

What makes Kumbhalgarh a hill station?

What makes it a hill-station? Its height (the Fort is at 1075 meters) is next to Mt. Abu. But it does not possess huge boulders devoid of vegetation as Mt. Abu has. So sun’s impact is felt less during peak of summer. Salubrious environment draws people to spend good time. Thanks to a local Jagirdar, Mahindra Singh of Ghanerao who set up an out-house like lodge on a hill-slope here. Arvind Singh Mewar, former ruler of Udaipur, was much appealed by this idiom and took over reins while adding his hospitality cult to make it an innovative resort called as Aodhi (a shooting box kind of a place in mediaeval time). Aodhi was to become a niche resort in India.

Nearly 40 hotels are observed functioning today. An estimated Rs 350-crore turnover is netted by them. About a thousand local folk get direct employment. A visit by this author during August 2020 revealed that Corona had no impact over goings on at Kumbhalgarh. No one masked face. No authority to come across the 3 km long main road dotted with hotels, shops and restaurants though no organized bazaar so far in sight.

New fun at Kumbhalgarh lakes, photo by Harsh Vardhan.

Kumbhalgarh running 50pc occupancy even in COVID-19 times

Business happened to be a surprise: Hotels all over the world are shutters down or may be running at 20-30% occupancy. However, Kumbhalgarh is logging in about 50% occupancy. It reaches 100% at week-ends! More hoteliers have chipped in. Local Sarpanch appears to be the lone government functionary, hence basking in the sun. What civic norms or environmental concerns? 

But water crisis keeps all worried

Water is the main crisis. Each hotelier has to draw it through tractor borne tankers, from a nearby lake. Many have bought the wells dug in its water-shed and feel comparatively happy. Laundry is another problem. Pangs and pathos of this industry as its captains aim at profit and not on appropriately developing local resources. Short-range profit and long-range investment, Indian business has its debate.

Eat, drink and merry

What drill for visitors. Eat, drink and be merry. Most of them cannot afford high price of liquor at the bar. The license fee at Kumbhalgarh is at par with Udaipur and Jaipur. A large peg of rum, cheapest liquor, had cost Rs 940 for this scribe. What example of promoting tourism? The authorities kept an eye on bar tariff and not on chiseling a new strategy to lure visitor-friendly tourism here. 

Folk appeal at Kumbhalgarh Fort (pic courtesy: Harsh Vardhan)

Rural tourism in Kumbhalgarh

What other activities? Go on an open jeep safari in villages. A new rural tourism is catching up. Wildlife safaris in Kumbhalgarh sanctuaries are less popular as sightings of mammals are infrequent. The forest official has his budgetary problems but has a plan to set up a Project Tiger in about 350 sq. km area. It is to reintroduce this wild mammal which became extinct here in 50s. Leopards and Sloth Bears have proliferated here. Almost each hotelier was heard saying: we often come across such wild mammals within our premises. Man-animal conflicts are usual features here, shared Fateh Singh Rathore, Deputy Conservator of Forest at Kumbhalgarh.  

Making Kumbhalgarh a 3-day destination

Anand Mishra, who is coming up with a 70-room hotel almost above the beauteous lake, stated that he would like to include nearby destinations within a new itinerary for his guests so as to make Kumbhalgarh minimum 3-night-stay destination. His eyes are at Iswal in South and countryside in North. He had drawn attention of an international chain to land here. 

Strangely, despite being an international chain, it has inimical Indian urban-mind-set on what essentially a hotel should be at a hill station. It will need persuasion to realise that a wilderness property would need a different ethos. 

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