By Shoba Mohan
The above line is taken from Ramathra’s earlier brochure and this simple line attracted me to make a quick trip in 2007. Ramathra Fort now has a brilliant new brochure, but the fort, the country side and the lake will always be Ramathra’s foremost attractions.
An important factor when proposing a destination hotel and an experiential stay is the routing. And on a quick trip to Ramathra, this is the reason I took my hand around my head to touch my nose , so to speak.
Shatabdi to Agra on a crisp winter morning from the ever bustling New Delhi Railway station was my choice. There was the train on time, the typical Railway signages indicating the coach number - an unblinking red. The train was on platform number one, on time.... so there I was on my seat, reclining and content to snooze. Two hours later, I woke up to be told that the train was still on Platform No 1, New Delhi Railway Station ! The reason; a train collision near Mathura when some police officers pulled the chain to re-capture a runaway convict. An express train made an unprecedented stop, only to have another train literally cut into its last few coaches. Causalities were many and the sight we passed on the now clear tracks was terrible.
Agra to Ramathra took me a little over five hours, including a much appreciated lunch stop at Rajasthan Motel in Mahua. Saag, Tandoori Roti, Tadka Dal and a raita of crisp cucumber in creamy, fresh yoghurt from the local gaushala ( cow shed ) – allow me to list this as one of the attractions enroute.
At sunset, Ramathra Fort stood in quiet welcome while Ravi and Gitanjali received me with a much needed cup of tea. That night, dinner and drinks were under the stars - the night soft and silent, the stars twinkling close enough to touch, the air fragrant with some known flowers and numerous other unknown scents. Finally dropping off the mind cliff into a dreamless sleep.... to wake up to the soft “towee” of a rufus treepie just outside the window of my suite, all this in a day’s work ! I can now understand why many of my friends envy what I do.
The outdoors and outside overwhelm you in Ramathra – the fort itself, the mute crumbling buildings inside waiting their turn at restoration, the stairs upto the ramparts, views of the lake and the country once there, walking trails around and upto the fort, watching birds from hand paddled boats. It was only in the morning that I took in the interiors of my suite , the warm colours of the upholstery, the attentive amenities, candles and the lighting - all a part of the cheerful suite, one of the six new suites that Ravi and Gitanjali restored last November. Two of the upstairs suites are a statement in luxury - space, light and views, out-door bath, shower and a terrace overlooking the vast expanse of the countryside around.
Return was relatively trouble free, driving about 4 hours to Jaipur Railway station to connect to Ajmer Statabdi for New Delhi. Getting off at the Gurgaon Railway Station to reach home even before the train would have crossed the outer into New Delhi precincts was a personal triumph !
