BY INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA
( THE WRITER IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED , MULTIPLE AWARD – WINNING TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR)
NEW DELHI | 4 SEPTEMBER 2025
It just stands there, majestically perched in the village from which it takes its name.
All the preceding hype notwithstanding, it turned out to be the kind of surprise that ‘makes my day’. A little bit of bliss.
A two and a half-hour drive from Delhi, deposited us smack at our exalted destination, a heritage hotel and resort, Fort Unchagaon at GarhMukhteswar, Unchagaon, Uttar Pradesh . What followed was a holiday of utmost delight.
Welcoming us was RupendraPal Singh (Binny), the affable owner of the fort, who made us feel at home.
During the course of our stay, Binny gave us several personally conducted guided tours of the premises, explaining the history and heritage of the fort, and its myriad artefacts, such as trophies, weaponry and photos. This later extended to a walk through their private orchards, a pleasant add-on.
The early 19th Century Fort Unchagaon was inherited by Raja Surendra Pal Singh in 1927, and the family has maintained and preserved this ancestral residence to good effect.Today it is a heritage hotel of note, and a sought-after holiday retreat.
A blend of Indian and Colonial architecture, a sense of airiness, and peace and quiet are some pluses that make an immediate impression on visitors who get a taste of old zamindari lifestyles.
Protected by bastion-like walls is the manor house with its impressive white façade and high-ceilinged rooms.
The Living Room is eloquent with memorabilia from the past; the Billiards Room shows understated elegance and magnificent trophies; the Dining Room borders on the grand; the Morning Room has a collection of family photos; under the gaze of an assortment of trophies strung onthe walls,the Tiger Drawing Room is regal; the Panther Dining Room; the Billiards Room; the Air-India Lounge has a small collection of Air-India memorabilia; the Armoury Dining Room; the bar, Hog and Horse has a collection dedicated to the sport of pig sticking; the Risala Dining Room has an equestrian theme; the Diwan Khana is now used for big parties and conferences.
Old lamps stand as silent sentinels in the corridors. Spacious and airy, the high-ceilinged guest rooms are a mix of the conventional and contemporary, adorned with rugs and period furniture that includes 4-poster beds, cabinets, chairs and study tables.
You enter the fort through an arched outer gate, then through a second gate that lets you into the gardens that front the impressive, manor house. While the front garden and manicured lawns dominate, other gardens are everywhere, sneaking into built-up areas. Bougainvilla creeps up in corners, and flower beds add a dash of colour.
Watching over everything, are a cluster of tall trees, including a spectacular, gigantic ‘walking Banian’.
A word about the food…! The meals were farm-fresh, sumptuous, home-based and delicious. Chicken curry, gram, mixed vegetables, salad, curd, rice pilaf, lentils, and flat breads, meant only one thing. Gross over-indulgence!
Lunch was the Armoury, whose walls are fittingly adorned by an assortment of weapons. As the sun set, we sat around in Hog and Horse, laden with photos, for what we thought would be a ‘bout of light drinking’. Well…! The dinner in Risala, was an affair to remember. Scores of photos of riders and horsemanship adorned the walls, and canons marked their territory on the floor. The large circular dining table could well have been King Arthur’s round table, but we confined ourselves to relishing the meal.
But it isn’t all about lounging about, as Binny was at pains to tell me. There’s billiards, squash, pickle ball, disk golf, table tennis, jogging tracks and pony-cart rides for children. And located alongside the former stables is the swimming pool, which with its blue flooring and clear water was attractive enough for even me to contemplate ‘taking the plunge’. (something that doesn’t happen too often).
The fact that the Ganges is within hailing distance, and providing scenic walks along its banks and boat rides with fishermen, is a huge ‘add on’. This was incentive enough for us to pack a picnic hamper and stop by at a convenient spot at the foot of a large mango tree along its bank. Thanks to the incessant rain, the river was swollen, with a strong current hidden by deceptively ‘still water’.
Fort Unchagaon grew on us. Our short stay notwithstanding, we had managed to unwind and relax. The pace of life had slowed down. And now came the worst part.
It was time to leave…!
The Facts:
Located in U.P., Fort Unchagaon is less than three hour’s drive from Delhi.
It is open the year round.
A two-day stay is ideal for enjoying the fort’s ambience and surrounding regions.
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