Antarda – Rajasthans Hidden Destination

Amer Fort, Jaipur

Rajasthan, the State of Royals, a Culture full of Heritage surprises and the Mysterious Palaces and its History has a huge significance among the tourist. Rajasthan has been the home to great Indian Rulers (in Hindi we call them Shurveer or Mahan) like Maharana Pratap, Sawai Mansingh and the list could go on. Therefore, the stories of these great Indian Rulers have been so much of significance to people that Rajasthan has become the most attracted tourist spot in India

City Palace Jaipur

We have all heard about the popular cities of Rajasthan, starting from Jaipur as the capital city highlighting the tourist attractions as Amber Fort, Hawah Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Pink City itself and of course, the streets are itself an attraction once you are at the right place.  Udaipur, known as the city of Lakes is a beautiful city in itself, followed by Jodhpur once also known as Marwar has its own significance and as well followed by other cities like Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, etc.

Amer Fort View from inside the Palace

As mentioned above, Rajasthan, mainly known for its heritage and Royal culture, therefore one symbol of it is the Royal Haveli’s of the Rajput and Marwari merchants that we will mostly come around in the regions of Fatehpur Shekhawati. The region is known for its vast spread of Haveli’s and its significant factor being the architectural work done by the great workers of that time.

Antarda - View from the Fort

Therefore, we have known much of the famous landmarks of Rajasthan, but the true essence of the travelling comes by knowing and understanding the mystery and trying out new places that you have not heard of. Hence, six months back me and my friends visited a place Antarda. Antarda is 40 Kilometers from World Famous Ranthambore Tiger Reserve & Fort. Therefore, while we were in Ranthambore, we came to know about this mesmerizing village of Antarda. It is famous in Hadoti Region for its scenic beauty. As one of my friends, who was with us on the trip belonged to the Royal Family of Antarda, he knew much about the place and we thought that this could be the best of Royal experience we could get in Rajasthan.

Garh - Where the Maharaja Stays

We visited the place, the same day we heard of it. So we were prepared to face the Royal treatment at Antarda at its best. When we reached, we entered into a big gate further leading to a Garh (new palace), where the current ruler of Antarda stays. The Garh is about 400 years old, with 15 rooms and a water storage tank in the middle of the Garh. Therefore, as we entered the Garh, we were hoping Maharaja to dress up as a King used to be, reflecting a sign of Royal culture. However, when we met them, they seemed to be very much simple like as we all are. The Royalty that we were expecting did not turned out from their clothes or their Garh; it came from what we experienced over the talks, a sign of calmness and a welcoming nature was something that I experienced there.

Garh

Even though being with the top most authority of the village, I felt as if I was home, because we experienced the home cooked food at the Garh, something I would always want on the tour as well. However, the ruling period was over a long ago, but still they were the rulers for us, because their talks inspired us so much. We discussed about their history and bravery, and having known much about them, gave our tour so much of respect that we never thought we would get out of Rajasthan.

Antarda Fort

Therefore, the next morning we were to proceed for the fort, so it was not more than a kilometer from the Garh, but we had to trek up the mountain to get there. Hence, it took us nearly 10 minutes to reach the fort. The fort is perched on the Aravali Hills, which is about 200 feet high. The fort is about 800 years old and unfortunately, most of its parts are damaged, but there are still remains that highlight the significance of the fort. The temple in the fort is still in a good condition and could be clearly seen in the night as well. The fort gives an excellent view of the village and the lake.

Water Storage - view from the Fort

View from the Fort

Antarda Fort - with Friends

Antarda is the example to the Royal culture and heritage I have experienced in Rajasthan over the years, because not only we stayed with the Royal family, but also what we experienced with the them was unforgettable. Our discussions were so respectful that it gave so much of importance to the whole trip. The experience was as if, the Royal family was ours and we were home to them. 

With the Royal Family