Conveniently located, less than 2 hours drive away from Jodhpur, is the Khimsar Fort, one of the finest Heritage hotels in Rajasthan. The fort was built by Rao Karamsiji, the 8th son of the Jodhpur founder, Rao Jodha, who moved to this region and founded the royal dynasty at Khimsar. The construction of the fort began in 1523 AD in the fairytale land of majestic forts and palaces. The fort's battle-scarred walls and turrets are a telltale reminder of Khimsar's glorious past. In mid 18th century, the royal family moved in and a new 'zenana' (ladies' wing) was built with finely carved windows in stone grills to provide 'purdah' or veil for ladies-in-waiting. Subsequently, Thakur Onkar Singh built for himself a regal wing.
The 68 rooms within the fort are all equipped with every modern comfort including air-conditioning, heating, hot and cold running water, mini bar, telephone with international dialing facilities, etc. The décor varies though from the very traditional to art deco and some of the rooms have their own private terraces and balconies.
The Khimsar fort provides excellent leisure facilities like sunset visits to the Sand dunes, Black buck jeep safaris and camel safaris to the nearby villages . In house facilities here include a large swimming pool, Ayurveda massage center and a restaurant set in very dramatic surroundings within the fort ruins. A section of the fort still remains the residence of the royal family of Khimsar.
