|
Home
|
About Us |
Contact Us
|
Query
|
E-mail
| North
India |
South India
|
West India
|
East
India |
Central India
Home > India Tours >
Rajasthan Destinations > Khimsar
Khimsar
AN
OASIS OF PEACE
Perched on the edge of the Great Thar Desert in the heart of virgin India
lies a unique 16th Century fort. Rao Karamsi-the eighth prince of Rao Jodha-the
founding Maharaja of Jodhpur-successfully launched the royal dynasty at
Khimsar. Currently, the 18th, 19th and 20th generations of the royal lineage
still reside in this historic fort.This fort architecture offers great
heterogeneity. Originally, the fort walls, turrets and stables were built
solely for war, and were constructed around the beginning of the 16th
Century. Subsequently, by mid 18th century, the royal family moved in, and a
new 'zenana' or ladies' residence was erected with finely carved windows in
stone that provided 'purdah' or veil for ladies in waiting. Thankur Onkar
Singh, the present chief and the 17th direct desendant of Rao Karamsi built
himself a regal additional wing in the 1940's. Today, this fort ranks
amongst the premier classified Heritage Hotels of India. PAST On the
highway from Jodhpur to Bikaner, an hour out of the Rathore stronghold, past
the medieval temples of Osian with their stunning stone carvings, is the
small township of Khimsar. Established by a scion of the house of Jodhpur,
Khimsar was once a small kingdom. And though Jodhpur royalty claim it was
never independent, the Thakurs of Khimsar claim that not only was it an
individual entity, but that one of the visitors to their ancestral fort was
Emperor Aurangzeb himself. The construction of the fort initially began in
1523 but the family moved in to the fort only during the 18th century after
a new zenana or ladies wing was constructed. Thakur Onkar Singh, the present
occupant of the fort, built a regal wing for himself in 1940s. The pride of
Khimsar today is still that fort, 450 years old and currently home to the
18th, 19th, and 20th generations of the Khimsar thakurs. Ajmer situated in
the green oasis wrapped in the barren hills has been a witness to an
interesting past. The city as founded by Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan in the 7th
Century AD and continued to be a major center of the Chauhan power till 1193
AD when Prithviraj Chaunhan lost it to Mohammed Ghauri. Since then, Ajmer
became home to many dynasties, which came and left-leaving behind indelible
marks of their c fa ulture and traditions on the city's history, converting
it to an amalgam of various cultures and a blend of Hindustan and Islam
|
Rajasthan
Tour Itineraries
