The History Behind Bambora Fort - From Fort to Luxury Heritage Stay

When you drive out of Udaipur and leave behind the rush of the city, the landscape slowly begins to change. The noise fades. The roads get quieter. Hills begin to rise around you. And perched on one of those rugged ridges, like a silent sentry watching over the countryside, stands Fort Bambora.

For most visitors, it’s just another old stone structure at first glance - weathered walls, tall bastions, and the unmistakable aura of a forgotten era. But for those who know even a fraction of its history, Fort Bambora is more than a photograph. It is a story.

Quick Facts — Bambora Fort

• Location: 30-40 min from Udaipur, Rajasthan

• Built: 1711

• Origin: Sisodia Rajput military outpost

• Historic Role: Protecting Mewar perimeter

• Today: Luxury heritage stay under The Fern Fort Bambora, Series By Marriott 

Rajput Origins - The Birth of Bambora Fort (1711)

The story begins in the early 1700s, when Mewar was still ruled by the proud Sisodia Rajputs. In 1711, the estate of Bambora was granted as a thikana to Kunwar Samant Singh, a noble loyal to the Maharana of Udaipur. From that moment, the hilltop settlement at Bambora took form, not as a palace, not as a hunting lodge, but as a military outpost designed for strategy, security, and sovereignty.

The fort was built high enough to see danger approaching, yet close enough to Udaipur to serve as a protective arm. Thick stone walls, guard bastions, and narrow passages all worked together to fulfil a simple purpose: keep the land safe, keep the people safe, keep the dignity of the kingdom safe.

Architecture That Still Speaks

Even if you stand there today, centuries later, the architecture tells its own story. The outer ramparts were built for defense, not decoration. The courtyards were planned for life, not tourism. The chhatris (domed pavilions) carried the elegance of Mewar, even in moments of war.

From the battlements, warriors would once scan the horizon for dust clouds - a sign that horses or armies were approaching. Below the fort, life moved at a slower rhythm: villagers farming, traders passing, and the royal banners fluttering in the desert wind.

In its prime, Bambora wasn’t just stone - it was a symbol of responsibility, loyalty, and the Rajput code of honour.

The Quiet Years

As time changed, so did the role of estates like Bambora. After independence, and the fading of princely rule, the fort lost the purpose it was originally built for. No armies needed watching, no territories needed guarding. And like so many historic structures across India, Bambora slowly slipped into silence.

Its walls stood, but its identity blurred.

Its bastions remained, but its voice faded.

The fort that once watched over Mewar began watching time instead.

The Fort That Refused to Disappear

What makes Bambora special is not just that it survived, but how it survived.

Instead of being swallowed by ruin, the fort found a second life. Its stone walls were not torn down, they were restored. Its courtyards were not replaced, they were revived. And its legacy was not erased, it was reimagined.

This transformation didn’t turn the fort into another modern building. Instead, it became something rare - a place where history could be lived, not just looked at.

From Fortress to Heritage Stay - Bambora Fort Today

Today, the fort has taken its final leap into the present as The Fern Bambora Fort Udaipur, Series by Marriott - a restored luxury property that carries the weight of three centuries with surprising grace.

It has not become a museum.

It has not become a theme park.

It has become a living heritage stay, where modern comfort and old-world silence coexist.

Guests swim beside ancient stone walls, dine under arches once meant for soldiers, and wake up to the same sunrise that Rajput nobles once did. It is one of those rare fort hotels in Udaipur that allows you to feel the past without sacrificing the present.

And unlike many busy palace hotels in the city, Bambora offers a different kind of luxury - the luxury of calm, distance, and authenticity.

A Fort That Found Its Meaning Again

In a world where heritage often becomes decoration, Bambora Fort stands out because its transformation respects its origin. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It doesn’t hide its scars. It lets its history breathe.

This is what makes it unique among heritage hotels in Udaipur - it hasn’t just been restored, it has been revived.

So if you ever find yourself searching for a heritage stay in Udaipur, and you want more than chandeliers and polished marble, Fort Bambora offers a story. A long one. A quiet one. A real one.

A story of stone and strategy.

A story of decline and revival.

A story of how a fort became a home again - this time, for travellers.

In the End… 

Bambora Fort didn’t just survive history. It adapted. It transformed. And it welcomed a new purpose without erasing the old one.

From the age of Rajput warriors to the era of experiential travel, it has remained true to itself, standing tall on the ridge, watching the land below, offering peace above.

That is the history behind Bambora Fort. That is its journey from fort to luxury heritage stay.

Stay at the Fort

Experience three centuries of heritage at Bambora Fort - restored as a luxury stay overlooking rural Mewar.

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Written by Jinesh Shah for The Fern Bambora Fort Udaipur, Series by Marriott