Malvi
It was a day when
we re-lived our childhood days of going on a picnic with outdoor
games, food, a long drive and happy banter with friend and family. With an
outdoor excursion in mind I searched the net for a place at driving distance
from Delhi for same day return. I came across this quaint Mud
Fort in Bulandshahar, UP around 80-90 kms from Delhi, which had been converted
into a resort with facilities available for a stay as well as a day tour. We
decided to drive there on a Saturday with friends and family.
One has to pre-book
even for a day tour online and an advance can be paid through credit card to
book your visit. It took us around two hours to reach the fort even though we
started a bit late from the time we had decided. The fort is tucked away from
the highway with a narrow approach road which opens up into a broad road lined
by sugarcane fields. The Fort is seven
km off highway NH 24 between Hapur and Garhmukteshwar,
 |
| Kuchesar Mud Fort |
For people wanting
to stay there for a day or two there are well refurbished rooms with historic
names with the walls showcasing the history of the Fort. The main entry after
the welcome desk opens into a courtyard with the Dining hall at one end the
rooms on two floors at the other.
As we had started
early, we first thronged the Dining Hall and had some breakfast then embarked
on our exploration of the fort.
A short tour of the
place brings you a vivid picture of the history of the Fort which was brought into the Ajit Singh
family’s possession in the eighteenth century when the Mughal king Najib-ud-Daula bestowed
the Jat family with the title of Rao Bhahadur and the Jagir of
Kuchesar comprised 365 villages. The Fort was however, lost in 1760s but was recaptured
by the Jat rulers in 1780s and remained in the family since then and was
granted lease by the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam in
1790 and then by the British in
1807. This fort was built with seven turrets as an anti cannon attack from
Britishers. Thereafter, structures were added to the fort which reveals different
architectural influences built in different phases.
My
mom, my friends Sunandita & Hamari and I had few interesting games of carom
and also played TT a bit. With the weather turning into a pleasant one we
thought some outdoor games would be good so we played football (which we had
brought along with us) and also cricket which my hubby enjoyed a lot and
relived his childhood street cricket days. Even my mum was game and played cricket n football with us in the well kept front gardens of the Fort.
It was a fun day which all of us
enjoyed and it immensely reduced our job stress as well. The games provided us
a good workout after which we relaxed and cooled our feet in the swimming pool.
However,
the service and food preparation are a bit slow and you should be prepared to wait a while
if you are hungry. After a hearty lunch we relaxed under a large banyan tree
which also had a rope swing.
As a bout of laziness hit us, Sunandita suggested
we play ‘Atlas’ -it is an ‘antakshri’ of country names. An amusing group
game which also gave are brains a little exercise. We all were reluctant to get
up from our cane chairs and leave the fort at the end of the day but as a long drive was ahead us, we decided to call it a day and settled our bills.
As we
drove off saying goodbye to the Fort, I remembered an old song….’mein
Zindagi ka Saath Nibhata Chala gaya, Har
fikre ko Dhuai mein Udata chala gaya’ !!
