Rohetgarh
Our tour guide says:
“At Rohet, one is transported in to a world of the past, a world of honour and of chivalry, of glory and of pride; a world of vibrant colours and spectacular magnificence. Past centuries come to life at the historic boundary walls of Rohet- the 16th century fortified deserted home of a Rajput clan. Within the precincts of these time weathered walls is our hotel, the impressive Rohetgarh Fort- a bastion of proud Rajput traditions bathed in the ambience of unmistakable Rajasthani culture where one can, even today experience the famed warm and courteous Rajput hospitality. Frescoes on the tall gateway, brightly painted in the traditional style, using traditional motifs and colour schemes herald your entry to this charmed world the bygone era. The gateway leads to a compound where a profusion of flowers frame the archways in welcome. The portico is a warm and informal place decorated with the artifacts and trophies of many years. Exquisitely carved furniture, delicate hand block prints, original paintings and photographs decorate your rooms, which though redolent with the romance of a bygone era, provide all the modern amenities. Antique hunting riffles, shields & spearheads, daggers and original paintings form the backdrop of the dinning room. The swimming pool here is in beautiful settings and is an oasis in a dessert.
The food at Rohetgarh is special; each recipe is both traditional and typical, handed down the generations and jealously guarded to retain its pristine flavours. You savour only the very best of Rajasthani cuisine’s, food favoured by the Royalty. The 16th century descendants of the Rathore ruling family still live here and host the guests. The members of the Royal family interact with the guests and interesting stories and anecdotes are narrated.
We would also explore Rohet, which is a fascinating small feudal town, which seems to be straight out of the Arabian Nights. There is no proper road here – only one main dust trail. On either side are typical thatched houses and shops of all kinds – colourful bangles, silver jewelry, potters, fruit vendors on carts, dress shops, tailors etc.
Evening we enjoy jeep safaris to visit the heart of Rajasthan villages where traditions centuries old still permeate life styles. One can witness the ‘opium ceremony’ – a ritual by which guests are welcomed. Gaily attired men and women carry on their chores and one can catch a glimpse of their norms and customs. The smoothened mud floors of the village huts remind one of the simple and traditional living here.“
We say:
This tiny little village is located about 3 hours down the “highway from the Jain Temple. This was, by far, the smallest and poorest place on our itinerary and we didn’t go exploring very much. The hotel was Chris’ favorite and wants to build a beach house somewhere based on the rooms layout with 15′ ceilings with a room overlooking the bedroom area. We went on a “safari” as soon as we arrived that involved some random 4 wheel driving across farmer’s fields looking for wildlife. We visited a Bishnoi village after tearing up the tundra where a large, extended family live in huts built from cow manure and hand-made plaster. They are basically the Amish of India because they use no modern conveniences. They are also strict vegetarians who herd cattle, goats, and sheep. We didn’t like this tour guide very
much so we didn’t ask why. This was also the first time we observed the caste system and how two different castes treat each other. One reason why we didn’t like this particular tour guide was because he was of warrior caste which is a much higher caste than the Bishnoi, which he made sure to let us and the Bishnoi know. Bishnoi means “29” in the local language. It stands for the 29 rules that the Bishnoi live by, including vegetarianism, after death being buried in the ancestral land, and not cutting green wood. The tour guide told us a story about how there were hundreds of Bishnoi martyrs that were killed trying to save the trees from being killed on their land. The family was wonderful and they made chai for us with freshly squeezed-from-the-cow milk. This was easily the best tea we’ve had so far.
 A view from the upper level of our room. |
 I was extremely excited to see this mongoose walking next to the road. (I loved the story Rikki Tikki Tavi by Kipling) This is a red faced mongoose. There are two species of mongoose in India, red faced and black tailed. |
 A male Indian Antelope |
 A female and baby Indian Antelope |
 A Bishnoi hut made of dung and home-made plaster. The holes are for ventilation during the different seasons. Plug them up for winter and open them up for summer. |
 One small part of the Bishnoi family, Grandma and a few of the grandchildren. Rajput women wear all of the jewelry they get from their wedding until the day that their husband dies. After that they can no longer wear the arm bangles, nose ring, etc that mark them as married. |
 One of the Bishnoi ladies getting the milk for our tea. The white bull on the left hand side is very protective of his cow and human flock. He tried to get me when I went in for a closer shot of the milking. |