Khimsar - Introduction
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. Finely 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.
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