Rajasthan's forts, castles on sale

[Sandeep Sharma]

JAIPUR: Weren't born into nobility but want to live like a king? Well, you can't turn your blood blue but, for a few crores and change, you can own the brick and mortar of history and heritage in Rajasthan. Over 100 crenelated forts — once ornate palaces and castles built over centuries, home to Rajput kings and chieftains — are up for sale across the state.

And queuing up to buy these now crumbling properties, neglected by decaying royal families, are potential buyers from Europe, America, Singapore and the Middle East. Sale of castles for a more viable adaptive re-use has been taking place in Europe but where will you get a piece of history at prices amazingly close to or even less than that of a city penthouse?

Sources close to the deals won't give out names but say the owners of these properties are in negotiations with NRIs and overseas business houses — either to sell them or run heritage hotels in collaboration with an overseas partner.

One such seller is Gajraj Singh. With no heir to inherit his ancestral property, the 70-year-old owner of Pushkar castle who manages various philanthropic missions in Ajmer, said: "Maintaining a property like that requires immense effort and funds and in the present scenario I just can't afford to spend that kind of money. I want to sell Pushkar castle and give part of the money to my adopted son and spend the rest on building a charitable hospital in the district."

Buyers look to turn old castles into hotels

Among the properties up for sale, there are many that foreigners and NRIs are looking at with an eye to turning them into money-spinning heritage hotels.

"The West is excited by the concept of a castle surrounded by a forest and it costs lesser than a cramped apartment in London. There are a few buyers who have evinced interest in buying multiple properties," said Islam Khan, who in collaboration with a Singapore based NRI is converting a 250-year-old castle into a heritage hotel. "Plus, they are drawn by history which is why the likes of Fredrick Forsyth, Elaine Page, Dominique Lapierre or our own Amitabh Bachchan prefer staying at heritage properties."
_________________
Brgds,
Sandeep