Chittorgarh Fort – A Bygone Sensation of Rajasthan

Chittorgarh Fort also recognized as ‘Chittaur Kila’ was the capital of the Mewar Dynasty under the reign of the Rajputanas. The Chittorgarh Fort is located in Chittorgarh Rajasthan. Sited at an altitude of 200 meters, this fort comprises a wide area including the ruins of many monuments & temples.

Chittorgarh Fort

This fort is among the biggest Indian forts. This Fort is shaped like a fish & is about 5 kms long and has nearly 13 kms wide circumference. This fort was declared as an UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 2013. There are so many legends of sacrifice & heroism in Chittorgarh Fort, that one should visit this place at least once in his lifetime before these ruins turn into sand with time.

Chittorgarh Ruins

Chittorgarh Fort as Water Fort

Chittorgarh Fort is also popular as Water Fort due to its wonderful water conservation system. As we know Rajasthan mostly comprises desert & receives less rainfall than other Indian states. Like other cities of Rajasthan, water was a big issue for Chittorgarh also. The Chittorgarh Fort was constructed in such a way that it had nearly 85 water-bodies which includes ponds (talabs), stepwells (baoris) & wells (kunds) from which only 22 water-bodies are in existence now. The ponds received rain water, the wells & stepwells are made beneath the ponds to save even the seepage from the ponds.

The Chittorgarh Fort is extended over 1730 acres from which 40% area was covered with water-bodies. These reservoirs have an average depth of 2 meters, which means all these reservoirs together have a storage capacity of 4 billion litres water. This quantity of water they were able to store in a year with normal rainfall, which was enough for 1 year. Though some water got wasted by evaporation, leakage & other reasons yet this is enough for 60,000 people to live without thirst.

Chittorgarh Fort History

Chittorgarh is among the most ferociously contested crown of supremacy in India. In between 8^th century to 16^th century this seat was in Mewar Dynasty, under the rule of Bappa Rawal.

In the 14^th century AlauddinKhilji, the ruler from Delhi, tantalized by the charm of Rani Padmini, queen of Chittaur, attacked Chittorgarh Fort and conquered Rawal Ratan Singh’s army. Rani Padmini along with 16000 ladies of Chittorgarh soldiers performed Jauhar (mass self-oblation) soon after the defeat of Rawal Ratan Singh & his army in the battle.

In the year 1535, the ruler of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah conquered the fort by defeating Rawal Bikramjeet Singh. The Sultan of Delhi, Akbar attacked Chittorgarh in the year 1567 and crushed the army of Maharana Udai Singh.

All these attacks on Chittorgarh exalted the chivalry of the Rajputs and made the Chittorgarh Fort History the most thrilling episodes of the Indian History.

How to Reach Chittorgarh

1. Chittorgarh city does not have any airport. The closest airport is in Udaipur, which is about 120 kms away from Chittorgarh. Udaipur airport is well connected with the major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Kolkata & Bangalore. Outside the airport you can book rented taxis to get to Chittorgarh. Cabs charges 2200 bucks approx.

2. Chittorgarh is accessible by buses to almost all the cities of Rajasthan, Maharashtra & Gujarat. Both Government & Private buses are available. From Chittorgarh bus stand    you can hire auto or cab to get to Chittorgarh Fort.

3.  If you are coming via railway, than you can directly come to Chittorgarh railwaystation. As this is a junction, this city is well linked by railway to all major Indian cities. You can also opt for luxury trains.

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Places to Visit in Chittorgarh

1.  1. Seven Fort Gates – While entering the Chittorgarh Fort you have to pass through seven palatial gates which are also called Pol. All these gates are constructed with huge stones to secure the army & the fort from the external forces. Each gate is recognized by a name as given below in serial order:

·         Padan Pol

·         Hanuma Pol

·         Ganesh Pol      

·         Jorla Pol

·         Laxman Pol

·         Ram Pol

Chittorgarh Fort Gate

2.  2. Meera Bai Temple – This famed temple of Deity Vishnu was constructed in the year 1449 by Rana Kumbha. This architectural piece of Indo-Aryan style has striking idols engraved on its pillars, sanctum & mantapa. This beautiful art piece attracts a large number of tourists across the country.

Meera Bai Temple

3.  3. Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) – This nine storied, 37 meters long tower was constructed by Rana Kumbha in the year 1449. Vijay Stambh was erected to celebrate the chivalry & victory of the Mewar King Rana Kumbha over the army of Malwa Ruler, Mohammed Khilji. You can go inside the tower by climbing about 156 stairs & after reaching the 9^th floor you will get a breathtaking view of the Chittorgarh Fort & its countryside. Inside the tower, Rana Kumbha has engraved ‘Allah’ 9 times in Arabic in the 3^rd floor & 8 times in the 8^th floor. The night view of this Vijay Stambh is also worth capturing.

Victory Tower

4.  4. Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame) – This seven storied tower was constructed by Jeeja Bhagerwala, a jain merchant. During the sovereignty of Rawal Kumar Singh, this tower was erected to glorify Jainism. This 22 meters high & 9.5 meters wide tower is dedicated to the 1^st Jain Teerthankar, Adinathji.

Kirti Stambh

5.  5. Rana Kumbha Palace – This palace was named after the great Sisodia Ruler, Rana Kumbha. This palace is believed to be the largest among other monuments of the Chittorgarh Fort. You can now only witness the ruins of this place of great historical importance. According to the locals, this palace has cellars beneath the ground, where Rani Padmini & other women performed Jauhar. Meera Bai also resided in this palace for many years.

Rana Kumbha Palace

6.  6. Padmini Mahal (Padmini Palace) – This palace was once the home of Rani Padmini, the Rajput Queen of matchless beauty & wife of Rawal Ratan Singh. Situated on the south of Chittorgarh Fort, this beautiful three storied structure is constructed amid ponds in 19^th century. It is believed that, Padmini mahal is the place where Rani Padmini was standing when Alauddin Khilji saw her mirror image & than to get her, attacked Chittorgarh.

Padmini Mahal

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7.  

7. Satbis Deori (Jain Temple) – Satbis Deori, a sacred Jain temple is located in Mohan Magri. Presently, you can check 6 Jain temples in Chittorgarh Fort. The main & biggest in them is Deity Adinath’s temple. The area surrounding this temple is called ‘Satbis Deori’ which means earlier 27 temples were present there. This temple exhibits different beliefs, cultures & traditions of Jain religion.

Jain Temple

8.  8. Kalika Mata Temple – Dedicated to the Goddess Kali, this temple is a gem of architecture. This temple was constructed in 8^th century but some parts of this Kalika Mata temple were later on constructed in 14^th century. This is a sacred place for the Hindus and you will witness huge crowd here every time.

Kalika Mata Temple

9.  9. Jauhar Kund – In the south-west part of the Vijay Stambh, you can witness the Jauhar Sthal. This is the spot where Rani Padmini along with the wives of the soldiers & generals of Chittorgarh performed the mass self-oblation (Jauhar) to save themselves from being raped & killed by the Mughals. Rani Padmini took this decision after the defeat of Rawal Ratan Singh & his army by Alauddin Khilji & his massive army in the battlefield. This spot has witnessed many Jauhar incidents, other than Rani Padmini’s Jauhar.

Jauhar Kund

1   10. Fateh Paraksh Palace – This palace was constructed by Maharaja Fateh Singh & it served as Maharaja’s residence for many years. The style of construction & architecture shows the inclination of Maharaja towards culture & art. Fateh Prakash Palace has a number of pillars & passages constructed in Rajasthani style & are decorated with beautiful paintings of the legends of 17^th & 19^th centuries. In the year 1968, a part of the palace was converted to Maharaja Fateh Singh museumwhich exhibits various sculptures collected from the buildings & temples inside the Chittorgarh Fort. The museum comprises weapons such as axes, knives, daggers etc, soldier uniforms, traditional attires, clay models of local people. This place is a must visit spot to know the greatness of Chittorgarh history in a better way.

Fateh Prakash Palace

1   11. Gaumukh Reservoir – This reservoir lies at the end of the hill cliff of Chittorgarh Fort & is popular as Gaumukh reservoir as you can see water coming from cow’s mouth. In ancient times, this reservoir was an important water source for the Fort. This is a nice spot to capture the memories of Chittorgarh Fort & you can also feed the fishes inside the reservoir.

 

Gaumukh Resevoir

1   12. Tulja Bhavani Temple – This is among the oldest temples in Chittorgarh Fort History. This is a holy place for the Hindus. This temple is situated on the western part of the Chittorgarh Fort & is dedicated to the Goddess Tulja. Near the temple, there is a courtyard where you can check the ‘Tope Khana’ which comprises some ancient cannons.

Tulja Bhavani Temple

Things to Remember

Here we are giving some information about the Chittorgarh Fort which you must now before visiting this Fort. Hope these points will help you in your trip.

1   1.  The visiting time of Chittorgarh Fort is from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

2   2.  This fort covers a vast area which is difficult to explore by walking. It is better to take a vehicle to explore the entire fort.

3   3.   A four-seater vehicle will charge 600 bucks per trip & it will take approx 2-3 hours to travel around the entire fort.

4   4.  The entry charge for visiting this fort is 55 bucks for adults (Indian), 20 bucks for kids (Indian) & 200 bucks for foreigners.

5   5.  To know better about the fort and its history it is better to hire a licensed guide. As most of the structures have turned into ruins so it will be difficult for a visitor to know about the name/history of these structures.

6   6.  The sound & light show in Chittorgarh Fort starts from 7:30 pm

7   7. The entry charge for sound & light show is 100 bucks per person.  In Tuesdays & Fridays you can enjoy English shows while in other days you can enjoy the Hindi shows.

8   8. The Fateh Prakash Palace remains closed on Fridays. The timings to visit the museum inside this palace are from 9:30 am to 5:15 pm.

Best Time to Visit Chittorgarh

1   1. The summers (April to June) are very dry & hot in Chittorgarh; the temperature varies from 30°c to 45°c. Therefore, is it better to avoid this period for trip to Chittorgarh.

2   2. During Monsoons (July to September) Chittorgarh receives a good amount of rainfall but these are unpredictable. The temperature varies from 20°c to 33°c which is quite pleasant to visit this place.

3   3. In winters the days are normal but the nights are quite chilling in Chittorgarh. The temperature goes down to a minimum of 4°c at night. So the best time to plan for a trip to Chittorgarh is in winter season.