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.
Heritage Hotels
of Khimsar
The fort
architecture of Khimsar 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 when a new zenana or ladies' residence was
constructed. Finally carved windows in stone were constructed
in this section for providing purdah or veil for the ladies in
waiting. Thakur Onkar Singh, the present chief and the 17th
direct descendant of Rao Karamsi (the original builder of the
fort) built himself a regal additional wing in the 1940's.
Today, this fort ranks amongst the premier heritage hotels of
India.
