Rampura. Yes, Rampura. The moniker doesn’t conjure up the most exotic and exciting visuals but that’s precisely why Bill Shakespeare asked “what’s in a name?” The town and its majestic fort are all the wonders that you never see coming. Rampura is the reason someone said “F the GPS!” and took the broken path over the beaten one. Yes indeed, reaching Rampura isn’t easy. The roads, if I may take the liberty of calling them that, for 100 kilometers are bare and rough. It’s quite a bouncer if you’re coming from Delhi or Agra’s pretty cool highways. But that’s it. When the worst part of your experience was a few bad roads, then you’ve probably had a great holiday. And if you can’t handle a few rough patches, then an off-the-map location would probably not suit your taste to begin with. Pity, if that is the case. Because you’d really be missing out on a real hidden gem; one of the actual places that make India, !ncredible India.
For a young population that’s parched for new, fresh weekend getaway options, Fort Rampura is a wonderful find. Less than 7 hours of driving time from the capital is the fort at Rampura. It has all the charm of a bygone era, preserved beautifully but without the commercialization of a branded hotel. The 700 year old fort is massive and, depending upon your love for solitude, you can spend hours exploring its endless wonders. A walk through the old moat, which now serves as a mustard field is enchanting during winters. When the fields are draped by bright yellow mustard flowers it is imperative to run through them and recreate your own Yash Raj moment. The Palace is filled with living rooms which are more like museums. They house countless and priceless artifacts, rugs, furniture and more. The animal heads used as trophies and tiger skins weren’t particularly to my liking. But the complete works of Shakespeare in its miniature form certainly was.
We unfortunately stayed only the one night at the fort. But in just that short time we fell head over heels in love with it. Had the most unusual and unforgettable experiences during the stay, which included driving a tractor! Just a ride on the tractor is a bumpy, crazy experience but driving one is simply amazing. What silly Lamborghinis we keep chasing all our lives? I’m telling you, tractors are the way to go. The village market was an amazing place to see the local shopaholics in action. The colourful, unique faces and shops almost blew the brain of my photographer friend. We came thisclose to having his brain splatter all over the potato sacks. Fortunately, it never came to that. Sitting by the Pahuj river in the evening was just the right mix of lazy and silence. The only sound we heard was of skipping stones.
Still planning a trip to Nainital, are we?
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