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"Rajasthani Reinvention\nIndia's Naila Fort Undergoes a Total Transformation\nSet high on a mountain in Rajasthan is the 150-year-old Naila Fort, now the retreat of P. R. S. \"Biki\" Oberoi, head of the Oberoi hotel group. To assist in the restoration, he called on architect Prabhat Patki, with whom he'd collaborated on the Rajvilas and Amarvilas hotels.\nThe first of the fort's three main courtyards. Characteristic of fortified buildings in the region, the walls are lime-plastered sandstone. Because it was named a heritage site by the Rajasthani government soon after its purchase, no structural changes could be undertaken.\nGuests to Naila Fort are welcomed with garlands of red roses at the main entrance, or Suraj Poul, which features brass-studded doors from the nearby Shekhawati region. Beyond, antique arms and shields from Rajasthan are arrayed above a brass chest from Gujarat.\nFrom the Suraj Poul guests proceed to the Surya Mahal, or formal drawing room, which is defined by flat cusped arches. Interior designer Sunita Kohli conceived the floor's pietra dura detailing. Elaborate brass-mounted doors open onto the gardens.\nAs elsewhere in the residence, the dado of the dining room is finished in aarish, a glaze of white lime, ground marble and eggshells that is found only in the interiors of palaces and forts in Rajasthan. The antique carpet is Persian. A crystal chandelier lights the space.\nBecause of the fort's remote location, construction supplies had to be brought in by tractor. \"I thought, if they could build it in the old days, I could do it now,\" explains Oberoi. A sitting area between courtyards displays part of his collection of antique arms.\nThe Ganesh Poul, or Ganesh gate, leads to the residential quarters. The elephants in the niches are stenciled in gold leaf.\nA mother-of-pearl-inlaid antique Egyptian teak chair and a gold-leafed Thai Buddha highlight the private drawing room.\nCusped arches and aarish-covered walls continue in the master bedroom. The side chairs are clad in brass. Of the team of craftspeople who carried out the renovation, Oberoi observes, \"Thank goodness there are still artisans in India who can do this sort of work.\"\nA turret rises beyond the swimming pool that Oberoi installed on the property, a luxury in Rajasthan's dry climate. The teak chairs have cushions covered in Rajasthani fabric. Beige sandstone rings the pool, which has a low railing accented by a latticework design."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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