Place of interest

Do Nothing:
For all those condemned to a life of routine in the city, Fort Rampura offers the true blue luxury of doing nothing at all, quite literally. From the time you arrive at the fort, you could choose to put up your feet, settle down with a drink and count avian visitors by the courtyard. Or you could simply immerse yourself in a book that’s been elusive so far. Write if you like. Or try your hand at photographing rural India at its rustic best. In a fast globalizing world where one doesn’t have the time to relax in the true sense of the word, Fort Rampura seems frozen in time, a rare place where ‘doing nothing’ comes real easy.

Experience Local Culture:
Enjoy an evening with rustic folk singers that have a day job, unlike the spruced-up and painted kind one usually encounters in touristy parts of India. Although you may not be able to comprehend a single word, these strident balladeers of Bundelkhand kings and daring exploits of local Robin Hoods can put up quite a show - the rhythm and tempo of it all is sure to take you on a different trip. It may be pertinent to point out that during the fun-filled Indian festival of colours known as ‘Holi’, the locals are on a different high and sing for days on end.

They sing ‘Phaag’,songs to celebrate onset of spring. Traditional percussion instruments like Dholak and Jhika hold sway while the untrained raw voices of the regular ‘Joe’ make sure that what you witness is the real deal.

You could also take an exhilarating early-morning walk through the ravines, right up to the family temple upon a hillock. It’s quite an experience. Stretch out in the welcome warmth of the winter sun on the fort terrace and surrender your tired body to the deft hands of the local masseur for a ‘sarson ke tel ki maalish' (local mustard oil massage) by the local ‘nau' (barber). You’re welcome to use the family’s antique billiards table and shoot some pool. Or browse through the dog-show trophies, collections of royal seals, letters and firmans (royal edicts from the Mughal times and the British Raj) and battle armour.

Discover Forts of Bundelkhand:
Some of our guests prefer to make Fort Rampura their base and explore the different forts, fortresses, temples and palaces nearby. Visits to such places of historical interest can be planned like day-picnics. Most of the forts were built as ‘fighting forts’, designed for the war at the drop of a hat, and often brought about by rivalry between clans.

Who knows, one might even meet with a retired ‘Baaghi’ or erstwhile bandit and listen to his Robin Hood exploits before he gave up the gun in exchange for a some peaceful sunset years. Visits to the forts of Jagamanpur, Tihar, Gopalpura, Samthar, Sevanda, Ater, Bareh can be arranged provided the owners are present.

Boat Ride on River Yamuna:
If you’ve seen the river Yamuna as it passes through Delhi or Agra, you will probablyhave noticed how it turns into a cesspool of industrial waste and pollution, frothing on the banks like a rivulet on its deathbed. Near Rampura, you’ll be surprised to see the river Yamuna alive again! It is resplendent, big and wide, in no small measure, due to the tributaries that throw in their waters with the holy Yamuna. We recommend a boat ride on the Yamuna to all our visitors and we’ll recommend it to you too. Watch local fishermen net their catch of the day as you drift down the river to the cadence of wooden oars cutting the water.