Ahilya Fort
Maheshwar

Ahilya Fort is one of Ampersand's Top 10 Romantic Retreats 

The incomparable Ahilya Fort is quite possibly one of the most romantic hideaways in all of India, and a firm Ampersand favourite. Perched high above the sacred River Narmada in the sleepy town of Maheshwar, this 18th-century fortress is not just a hotel, but an experience; intimate, soulful and utterly enchanting. While the setting may be regal, the atmosphere is more that of a well-loved home than a grand palace. The fort belongs to Richard Holkar, son of the last Maharaja of Indore, whose passion and vision have brought Ahilya to life with rare sensitivity. He has restored the fort with a lightness of touch; pale stone floors, shuttered doors, carved arches and quirky bathrooms that speak to a thoughtful fusion of elegance and eccentricity. Regional crafts and traditions are woven throughout, from handloom textiles to antique ceramics, giving the interiors a layered, lived-in feel.

Arriving into Maheshwar, you wind slowly through quiet lanes and up the hill to the fort, a journey that feels like slipping backwards in time. Beyond a discreet wooden door, through a shaded courtyard guarded by a stone Nandi bull, the fort reveals itself gradually and with quiet grandeur. From the ramparts and gardens, the views over the Narmada are magnificent. At dawn, a silver mist veils the water, at dusk, the ghats and shrines below are burnished copper in the setting sun. All day, the gentle rhythm of temple bells and chanting floats up on the breeze from the 200-year-old shrine nearby, anchoring you to the spiritual pulse of this deeply sacred town.

Dining at Ahilya is nothing short of magical. Meals are never in the same place twice; one night you might find yourself at a candlelit table by the jungle-fringed pool, the next tucked into a turret under the stars, or sharing stories and local dishes on the breezy terrace above the river. The menus change daily and are inspired by what’s fresh and local (almost everything is grown in the fort’s own organic gardens or sourced from nearby farms). It feels personal, generous and thoroughly unpretentious.

For those winding down at the end of a longer journey through India, Ahilya Fort is a perfect final chapter, a place to exhale. Linger by the pool with a book, take a boat ride down the river at sunset or sip a G&T from the balcony as the skies blaze orange and pink. And for the more intrepid, the hotel can arrange all manner of low-key adventures; excursions to the haunting ruins of Mandu, visits to sacred temples and nearby forts or an afternoon watching local artisans weaving the famous Maheshwari saris or carving lingas in the riverside workshops.

This is a place that stays with you, a hotel that hums with history and heart. It’s for romantics and readers, seekers and dreamers, travellers in search of something quietly extraordinary.

For something a little different and away from the masses, Ahilya Fort is perfect - it is completely non-commercial and truly captures the “essence of India”. Spend a few nights at Ahilya Fort including one night on a boat sailing on the stunning Narmada river.
James Jayasundera, MD of Ampersand Travel