Brij Bihari Kaushik built an old broken-down wall into a big, beautiful fort. Shubhra Krishan met the man and made a trip tohis mansion.
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| Brij Bihari Kaushik |
Over the years, Brij Bihari Kaushik of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, built himself a successful construction business. But it became much more than a source of livelihood for him when he began taking up restoration of heritage properties on a turnkey basis.
Soon, he wanted to have and build his very own fort.
Sitting across from this tall, well-built man, I can almost feel the passion radiating from him. When he speaks, it is with a calmness that is redolent of a building’s deep foundations.
“In my hunt for an exciting site, I came across several that were almost ready to run, with minimal investment and effort. But somewhere within me, the mission was written in stone—I wanted a truly special location.”
Kaushik found it in Alwar, just off the main city, on a hillock with a rundown stone wall snaking down. Searing heat bounced off the summer sun as Kaushik climbed up and stood atop the 100-foot high mound, surveying the expanse of Aravali Hills all around. From somewhere down below came a peacock’s happy squawk.
It was, I am imagining, in such a moment that Kaushik’s mind was made up.
Where Peacocks Dare
Peacocks abound in this land, strutting their stuff. And when dusk falls, nightingales break into song. The serenity, caressed by the cool night air, is sometimes punctuated with the notes of a Rajasthani folk song emanating from the lips of a villager in Dadhikar village down below.
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Building the Dream
It took four relentless years and more than five crores to make Dadhikar fort the beautiful property that it is today. The though terrain discouraged labourers from trudging up, so donkeys were harnessed to lug up the building material. And the few workers who took up the task had to be paid big amounts.
Kaushik says he spent countless nights at the under-construction property, often sleeping alone in the wilderness, with the danger of wild animals and rumouredly creatures from the world of spirits lurking close by.
“My advice to anybody who desires to take up an enterprise of this scale is simple,” says Kaushik. “Begin with passion.” Because it is not a business plan or a load of money that propels you, but the driving force of passion.
The property has 11 large rooms, decorated simply but aesthetically. In keeping with the serene nature of the retreat, there are no television sets, and cellphone signals also come and go. There is no power supply to the hillock, so the entire fort runs on generator system. Kaushik has been running from pillar to post trying to get an electricity connection, which he says will also help the villagers nearby.
Kaushik says he hopes to break even more than five years down the line, but of course, he is prepared for the wait, both financially and emotionally.
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