My stay at 250-year-old Ahilya Fort in Maheshwar was one of those rare experiences that I know I will cherish for a long time. As someone who has always been fascinated by art, culture and history, I have found palaces and forts extremely intriguing. But what could be better than actually staying in one that was once a royal home.
Situated along the banks of the Narmada River in the small town of Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, the fort offers an experience that goes far beyond a luxury stay. In fact, calling it a hotel almost feels inadequate. (Also read: 48 hours in Dubai: How I explored the best of luxury, food, art and adventure without battling the summer heat )
Even before I reached Ahilya Fort, Maheshwar had begun telling me its story. As soon as I entered the town, I was surrounded by shops displaying rows of beautiful Maheshwari sarees, the town’s signature weave. The streets seemed to carry the craft everywhere, making it impossible to separate Maheshwar from its textile heritage. When I arrived at The Ahilya Fort Heritage Hotel on a warm August morning, there was no imposing hotel lobby, bustling reception desk or the familiar rush of a hotel check-in. Instead, I found myself walking through the walls of a centuries-old fort, with the Narmada flowing quietly alongside it. There was an immediate sense of calm. Inside, the walls were adorned with portraits of the royal family, centuries-old paintings , artefacts and letters. Every corner seemed to carry a fragment of another time. I found myself slowing down, looking around and wondering about the people who had walked through these same spaces generations before me. Built in the 16th century by the Holkars of Indore, the fort became the seat of power from where they ruled large parts of central India. It was also home to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, the much-revered ruler whose legacy continues to shape Maheshwar. That fact alone made walking into the room feel different. The room wasn’t designed around the idea of conventional luxury. Instead, it retained the simplicity and character of the historic fort, with calming white walls, old-world architecture and details that allowed the original character of the space to remain visible. And then there is the view. From several points within the property, the Narmada and the ghats below unfold almost seamlessly. I loved how Maheshwar didn’t feel like something I had to leave the hotel to experience. Walking through the property with stories attached to the spaces made me notice things I might otherwise have walked past. An old wall was no longer just a wall. A painting wasn’t merely décor. A courtyard carried memories. There are no flashy displays of opulence. Instead, the luxury comes from the setting, privacy, history and the sense that you are being invited into a world that has existed long before you arrived. Even the staff contribute to this feeling. Most are from the local community, and several families have longstanding connections with the property. The hotel’s sustainability efforts also feel connected to the destination. Solar energy is used for kitchen and laundry operations, while bio-detergents and biodegradable diyas help reduce the property’s environmental impact. The Holkar family’s wider work through organisations such as REHWA Society, WomenWeave and other initiatives also reflects an attempt to make heritage conservation meaningful for the communities living around it. My last morning began with a heritage walk through the lens of the Maheshwari border, followed by a visit to the Holkar Cultural Centre. By then, I had begun looking at Maheshwar differently. When I first arrived, I saw a beautiful fort overlooking a river. By the time I left, I had seen the people who keep its traditions alive, the artisans preserving its textiles, the rituals that have continued across generations and the river that has quietly witnessed all of it. That, perhaps, is what makes Ahilya Fort different. I didn’t leave feeling like I had simply stayed at a beautiful heritage hotel. I left feeling like I had been given a brief glimpse into a living legacy. And perhaps that is the greatest luxury Ahilya Fort offers, not the opportunity to sleep inside a 16th-century fort, but the chance to slow down enough to understand the history still living within it. Prices: Stay packages vary by room category and season; check the official website for current rates. This article was produced following a two-night hosted stay at Ahilya Fort on an editorial invitation.
The 19-room property is spread across different sections of the historic fort, with every room and suite having its own character. How to reach: Around 95 km from Indore Airport, a roughly two-hour drive.
I stayed in Kesar, a room that, I was told, had once belonged to Rani Ahilyabai Holkar herself. On my first afternoon, I joined the property’s “Ahilya Slow Life” experience, which took us through the fort, its history, culture and legacy. Today, the property remains in the hands of her descendants, with Prince Richard Holkar, its current custodian, continuing to live here and host guests.
The kitchen uses organic and seasonal produce grown at the fort and at a nearby 10-acre farm. The next morning began very differently from a typical hotel holiday. The morning breeze carried the fragrance of puja ingredients, raw clay, flowers and incense sticks, as I made my way to attend the Lingarchan Puja, a ritual that has continued through generations. What made it particularly special was knowing that these rituals have been conducted since the days of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar and have continued without missing a single day. Meals at Ahilya Fort follow the same home-away-from-home philosophy. There isn’t a conventional restaurant where you walk in, choose from an extensive menu and leave. Instead, meals are served at communal tables or in different settings around the fort. Every day comes with a different fixed menu featuring a variety of dishes, which I actually found quite refreshing. You don’t spend half an hour deciding what to order; you simply sit down and let the meal unfold. The food also draws from royal recipes from different parts of India, including Indore, Gwalior and Sailana. I loved spotting jars of organic jams on the breakfast table, each carrying a little tag that read, “Made by Prince Richard Holkar. It is these tiny details that make you feel less like a hotel guest and more like someone who has been invited into a home. If there was one experience that I knew I would remember long after leaving Maheshwar, it was the sunset boat ride. Later that afternoon, I boarded a boat on the Narmada as the sun began to soften. From the water, Maheshwar looked different. The ghats, temples and fort seemed to come together as one enormous historical landscape. The noise of the day gradually gave way to a quieter evening, and for a while, there was nothing to do except sit back and watch the river. It was also when I understood why the Narmada is so central to the identity of Ahilya Fort. The river isn’t a view from the hotel. The river is part of the hotel. The more time I spent at Ahilya Fort, the more I realised that its idea of luxury is very different from what we usually associate with five-star hospitality.
