Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh, situated in the district of Chittorgarh in the state of Rajasthan, North India conjures of visions of dauntless and heroic men and beautiful and courageous women who placed death before dishonour. Founded during the rule of the Mauryas, the city became the capital of the rulers of Mewar from 734 A.D with Bappi Rawal as the first Mewar ruler.
The history of Chittorgarh is written in blood and sacrifice. This formidable fort was sacked three times and thousands of Rajput warriors had given up their lives defending it. In 1303, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the sultan of Delhi had invaded this hill fort in a bid to possess the beautiful Padmini, the Queen of Chittor. Rather than fall into enemy hands, Rani Padmini along with the other women in the fort had committed jauhar by immolating themselves on a huge funeral pyre while the men went out to court a certain death. Chittorgarh was sacked again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat when Rani Karnavati performed jauhar while her infant son Uday Singh was smuggled out of the city. This siege saw the death of 13, 000 women and 32, 000 Rajput soldiers. Chittor was again besieged in 1567 by the Mughal emperor Akbar who razed it to the ground. The fort was never inhabited again and slowly lost its importance. It now stands as a symbol of the indomitable heroic spirit of the Rajputs.
The important landmark in Chittorgarh is the ancient Chittorgarh Fort which stands on a 7 mile long hill, covering 280 hectares with its fortifications, temples, towers and palaces and many gateways. Most of the imposing monuments in Chittor are situated in the fort. The Fort is reached through a road winding uphill with seven fortified gateways known as ‘pols’. While climbing up to the main gate called ‘Rampol’, one comes across two Chhatris or cenotaphs of Jaimal and Kalla, the two young heroes who died defending the fort during the siege of 1567. Vijay Stambh or Tower of Victory is a lofty 37 metre high nine storeyed structure, with beautiful sculptures of Hindu deities, depicting episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. It was built in 1440 A.D. by Maharana Kumbha to mark his triumph over the Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat. From the balconies of the tower, one can get a panoramic view of the whole town spread out below. Kirti Stambh or tower of Fame, dedicated to Shri Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara, is a seven storeyed 72 ft high tower built by a wealthy Jain merchant. Padmini’s Palace, close to a lotus pond with a pavilion, where Ala-ud-din Khilji is said to have seen the reflection of the mesmerizing beauty of Rani Padmini, is worth visiting as is the Rana Kumbha Palace, said to be the most imposing palace in the fort. Fateh Prakash palace houses the government museum with a fine collection of sculptures and artifacts from the temples and buildings in the fort. There are many temples inside the fort, the most notable one being the Meera Bai temple built by Maharana Kumbha and later given to Meera Bai, the ardent devotee of Krishna and Kalika Mata temple.
From Chittorgarh, one can travel to places like Bassi a small village with forts and temples and famed for its woodcraft and sculptures. Bassi wildlife sanctuary is home to wild boars, antelopes, panthers and migratory birds. Sita Mata Sanctuary, Dhariyavad is spread over the Aravalli ranges and the Malwa Plateau with three rivers flowing through it. It is believed to be the jungle where Sita in exile stayed in the sage Valmiki’s ashram. Here one can see leopards, hyena, porcupine, four horned antelope, nilgai etc.
90 kms from Chittorgarh is Menal renowned for its thick forests, temples and waterfalls. Bijapur, 40 km from Chittor is famous for the magnificent Bijapur castle built by Bao Shakti Singh and now converted into a heritage hotel. A longer journey of 125km takes one to Deogarh, with the grand 16th century fort with beautiful palaces decorated with murals and fine Jain temples.
The history of Chittorgarh is written in blood and sacrifice. This formidable fort was sacked three times and thousands of Rajput warriors had given up their lives defending it. In 1303, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the sultan of Delhi had invaded this hill fort in a bid to possess the beautiful Padmini, the Queen of Chittor. Rather than fall into enemy hands, Rani Padmini along with the other women in the fort had committed jauhar by immolating themselves on a huge funeral pyre while the men went out to court a certain death. Chittorgarh was sacked again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat when Rani Karnavati performed jauhar while her infant son Uday Singh was smuggled out of the city. This siege saw the death of 13, 000 women and 32, 000 Rajput soldiers. Chittor was again besieged in 1567 by the Mughal emperor Akbar who razed it to the ground. The fort was never inhabited again and slowly lost its importance. It now stands as a symbol of the indomitable heroic spirit of the Rajputs.
The important landmark in Chittorgarh is the ancient Chittorgarh Fort which stands on a 7 mile long hill, covering 280 hectares with its fortifications, temples, towers and palaces and many gateways. Most of the imposing monuments in Chittor are situated in the fort. The Fort is reached through a road winding uphill with seven fortified gateways known as ‘pols’. While climbing up to the main gate called ‘Rampol’, one comes across two Chhatris or cenotaphs of Jaimal and Kalla, the two young heroes who died defending the fort during the siege of 1567. Vijay Stambh or Tower of Victory is a lofty 37 metre high nine storeyed structure, with beautiful sculptures of Hindu deities, depicting episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha. It was built in 1440 A.D. by Maharana Kumbha to mark his triumph over the Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat. From the balconies of the tower, one can get a panoramic view of the whole town spread out below. Kirti Stambh or tower of Fame, dedicated to Shri Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara, is a seven storeyed 72 ft high tower built by a wealthy Jain merchant. Padmini’s Palace, close to a lotus pond with a pavilion, where Ala-ud-din Khilji is said to have seen the reflection of the mesmerizing beauty of Rani Padmini, is worth visiting as is the Rana Kumbha Palace, said to be the most imposing palace in the fort. Fateh Prakash palace houses the government museum with a fine collection of sculptures and artifacts from the temples and buildings in the fort. There are many temples inside the fort, the most notable one being the Meera Bai temple built by Maharana Kumbha and later given to Meera Bai, the ardent devotee of Krishna and Kalika Mata temple.
From Chittorgarh, one can travel to places like Bassi a small village with forts and temples and famed for its woodcraft and sculptures. Bassi wildlife sanctuary is home to wild boars, antelopes, panthers and migratory birds. Sita Mata Sanctuary, Dhariyavad is spread over the Aravalli ranges and the Malwa Plateau with three rivers flowing through it. It is believed to be the jungle where Sita in exile stayed in the sage Valmiki’s ashram. Here one can see leopards, hyena, porcupine, four horned antelope, nilgai etc.
90 kms from Chittorgarh is Menal renowned for its thick forests, temples and waterfalls. Bijapur, 40 km from Chittor is famous for the magnificent Bijapur castle built by Bao Shakti Singh and now converted into a heritage hotel. A longer journey of 125km takes one to Deogarh, with the grand 16th century fort with beautiful palaces decorated with murals and fine Jain temples.
