The exotic Rambagh Baradari in the Rambagh Gardens in Ramnagar, near Varanasi

The erstwhile Benares(another name for Varanasi) state was under the rule of Maharaji Chet Singh who ruled the state 200 years ago.Chet Singh had commissioned some magnificent buildings and gardens during his rule.One such enchanting garden is the Rambagh in Ramnagar near Varanasi, which has some rare varieties of flowers and medicinal plants. However, the prime attraction of Rambagh is the 'Baradari' where the Maharaja would sit with his royal entourage and enjoy the views of the surreal surroundings. The 'Baradari' is made from the rare 'Makrana stone' which is also used in the construction of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.Elegant carved stone pillars support delicate arches with a decorative central seating area for the King. The Baradari was recently in news after reports came out that the rare stones of the baradari are breaking loose due to the careless activities of visitors as well as from the attack of the natural elements.Steps are being taken to dismantle the weaker sections and send them for repair and to replace some of the stone sections with the equally strong 'Chunar' stones which are found in the nearby region and which were also used in the construction of forts and palaces.Since the 'makrana' stones are extremely rare, the 'Chunar' stones seem a viable alternative.Recently, the current king of Kashi, Kunwar Anant Narayan Singh also visited the 'Baradari' to ascertain the extent of damage to the heritage structure.The Rambagh Baradari is a sterling example of the intricate stone-based architectural design that was the trademark of the artisans of this region and which now, unfortunately is well on its way to becoming a thing of the past.

Tour of the Ramnagar Fort in Varanasi - an icon of Varanasi' royal past

The Ramnagar fort, the official residence of the Maharaja of Kashi the former ruler of Varanasi is about 12 km. from Varanasi. One has to cross the Ganga river to the other side to enter Ramnagar. Book a cab or an autorickshaw that will take you through the swaying 'Pipa -pull" a rickety yet safe bridge over the river Ganges.It takes about a little more than hour to reach if the traffic isn't too bad. Be ready to spend most part of a day if you wish to brwose through the fort palace lesiurely. Built by Maharaja Balwant Singh in the eighteenth century the fort houses his palace. The fort is built in red sandstone and is an imposing building, every inch of it seeped in history. It is said that the great poet Ved Vyasa who wrote the hindu epic Mahabharata also stayed here for some time.

The fort at Ramnagar houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars, Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and antique clocks. . There is also a rare temple of Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman . One of the most interesting things to be seen here is is a big clock on the walls of the fort. This clock not only displays year, month, week and day but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and constellation of stars. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons are some of the artifacts on display in the Ramnagar fort-palace museum.

The Ramnagar fort is worthy of a visit if you are interested in ancient fort and palace architecture. On a personal note, such visits fill my heart with pride. These forts, palaces and temples are not just objects of beauty but are testimony to the technological advancement of our ancestors who were able to build such gigantic structures with out the use of the machines and tools that are available to man today. And the fact that they have withstood the vagaries of nature for centuries makes modern construction practices seem at best - “amateur”.