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 8th
century to 16th century this seat was in Mewar Dynasty, under the
rule of Bappa Rawal.
In the 14th 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.
You may also like >> JAIPUR – The Pink City of Rajasthan
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 9th
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 3rd floor
& 8 times in the 8th 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 1st
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 19th
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.
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.
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 8th century but some parts of this Kalika Mata temple were later on
constructed in 14th 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 17th & 19th
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.
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.
0 Comments