Monument Name Chittorgarh Fort Location Udaipur State Rajasthan Timings Coordinates 27.7214  75.4699 Wikipedia Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chittorgarh_Fort Entrance Fee Other Details

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The legend has it that Bhim, a Pandava, stared the construction of the Chittorgarh fort, Udaipur. The fort has a number of magnificent structures within itself. A one km zig-zag accent leads to the Chittorgarh fort of Udaipur, Rajasthan. There are seven gates in the fort. The main gate you come across while walking up to the fort is Rampol, the gate of Lord Rama. A climb on the way between the second and third gate, takes to the two Chattris cenotaphs built to honour Jaimull and Kulla (heroes of 1568 siege by Mughal emperor Akbar). The main gate of the fort itself is Surajpol, the Sun Gate.

The Chittorgarh fort houses a number of palaces within itself. The palaces within the fort include Rana Kumbha Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace, Padmini's Palace, etc. bringing forth the romantic era of the Rajputs, is this hilltop fortress of Chittorgarh. The main attractions of the fort are:

Vijay Stambh

Vijay Stambh, meaning tower of victory, was built around 1440 AD. Maharana Kumbha got this fort constructed as a commemoration to his victory over Mohamed Khilji. The tower is nine stories high. Providing with an amazing top view of the whole town are the balconies of the fort. The sculptures of Hindu deities cover the Vijay Stambh. The tower is illuminated in the evening, making you fall in love with its bewitching beauty.

Kirti Stambh

A wealthy Jain merchant built Kirti Stambh, the tower of fame, in 12th century AD. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankar, Adinathji. It contains naked figures of Digambars. The tower is seven stories and 22 m high.

Other structures worth visiting in and around the Chittorgarh fort are:

Sammidheshwara Temple

Gaumukh reservoir

Palace of Queen Padmini

Bhimtal Tank

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

Meera Temple

Kumbha Shyam Temple

Kalika Mata Temple

Symbol Of Valor

The Chittorgarh Fort is a living testimony to the bravery of the great Rajput rulers who laid down their life fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission. The fort is located on a hill that dominates the modern township of Chittor. It is a fine example of the Rajput style of architecture.

Chittorgarh Fort

The fort of Chittor is believed to have been the capital of the Gahlot and Sisodia kings who ruled Mewar from the eighth to the sixteenth century AD. The fort is named after Chittrangad Mauraya. The Sisodia ruler Ajay Pal (AD 1174-1177) improved the fort wall built by the Gahlot king in the ninth century AD. The fort has witnessed three ferocious sieges and each time her defenders, demonstrating true Rajputana pride, fought valiantly against the enemies. The magnificent fort rises 150 m above the surrounding region and runs to an approximate length of 3 km covering an area of 60 acres and peripheral length of 13 km.

Sieges

Out of the three major sieges, the first one occurred in AD 1303 when Ala-ud-din Khilji of Delhi attacked to gain possession of Padmini, the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh. In spite of gaining control of the fort, the goal remained unachievable since Padmini along with other Rajput women marched in procession to an underground cave and committed self-immolation or jauhar.

The second siege in AD 1535 was by Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. The Rajputs fought valiantly but were defeated and jauhar was once again performed.

The third siege of the fort took place in AD 1567 with the Mughal ruler Akbar arrayed against the might of the Rajputs. It is believed that Akbar got annoyed with Udai Singh for sheltering the then ruler of Malwa. This was a bloody war with jauhar being performed for the third time. The tales of valor of Jaimal and Kalla are still alive in the local folklore. It is believed that Akbar was so impressed by the valor of Jaimal and Kalla that he got their statues installed at the Agra Fort.

Legends

Legend has it that it was because of the beautiful Padmini that Chittorgarh was sacked the first time. When Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji, the ruler of Delhi, heard of Padmini's beauty, he requested Rana Rattan Singh (her husband) for a glimpse of the queen. However, the Sultan was permitted to see only the reflection of the queen from a water tank that overlooked the palace.

Ala-ud-din is said to have been so carried away by Padmini's beauty that he attacked Chittor in order to possess her. This led to the first bitter and bloody siege of the Chittorgarh fort and the subsequent mass suicide.

The Pols

The ascent to the Chittorgarh Fort takes one through zigzag paths interrupted at intervals by seven enormous gateways or 'pols'. The different gateways are Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jorla Pol, Lakshman Pol, and Ram Pol. The Suraj Pol is the gate on the east. There are two chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars) where the two famous commanders Jaimal and Kalla fell when Akbar laid siege to the fort in AD 1567.

Near the Padan Pol is the memorial of Rawat Bagh Singh who joined hands with King Vikramaditya to fight against Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat when Chittor fort was attacked the second time. The Bhairon Pol is named in the memory of Bhairondas Solanki who also fought against Sultan Bahadur Shah in AD 1534. The Hanuman Pol, the Ram Pol, and the Lakshman Pol have a temple in their vicinity. The Jorla Pol has two adjacent gateways.

Monuments

The main places of interest within the precincts of the fort are the two towers known as the 'Kirti Stambh' (Tower of Fame) and the 'Vijay Stambh' (Tower of Victory). Besides these, there are several temples, reservoirs, and palaces originating between the 9th and 17th centuries AD. There is also a big complex of Jain temples within the fort.

The Kirti Stambh is a seven-storied structure with a cramped stairway of 54 steps. It is 30 feet at the base and narrows down to 15 feet at the top and is adorned with Jain sculptures on the outside. It is dated approximately around the 12th century AD. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara or spiritual teacher, Adinath, and has an impressive five-feet-high statue of the saint.

However, the most imposing structure within the Chittorgarh Fort is the Vijay Stambh. This tower can even be seen from the town, which is located below the fort. This exemplary piece of architecture stands on a pedestal of 47 square feet and 10 feet high, while the tower alone stands at a height of 122 feet and is 30 feet wide at the base. There are 157 steps and the stairs are circular. It is believed that the tower took 10 years to be completed. The tower was built around the 15th century AD, by Rana Kumbha, one of the most powerful Mewar kings. The tower was built to commemorate his victory over Mahmud Khilji of Malwa. The entire structure is covered with sculptures of Hindu deities and episodes from the two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, with names given below each piece of sculpture.

The Sammidheshwara Temple is near this tower. Gaumukh reservoir and the palace of Queen Padmini are important spots to the south of the Rana Kumbha Palace. According to legend, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, was allowed to see the reflection of Queen Padmini in this palace. A big water reservoir with water gushing out of a rock shaped in the form of cow's mouth called 'Gaumukh' is close to the opening of the cave where Rani Padmini and the other women are believed to have performed jauhar. Other spots worth visiting are the Bhimtal Tank, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Meera Temple, Kumbha Shyam Temple, and Kalika Mata Temple dating back to the 8th century.

How To Reach

Chittorgarh does not have an airport. It has rail links to cities like Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur, Kota, and Delhi. There are also regular buses for Ajmer, Bundi, Kota, and Udaipur from Chittorgarh. For local transport, one can use auto-rickshaws and taxis.

Chittaurgarh Fort (Lat. 24º 59' N; Long. 75º 33' E) the ancient Chitrakuta Durga occupies a place of pride in the history of Rajput chivalry and remained an important seat of power from 7th to 16th century AD. Covering an area of about 700 acres, the fort stands on a 152 m high hill and is said to be built by Chitrangad of the Mori dynasty in 7th century AD. It has been a witness to the rule of several dynasties such as: 1.Mori or Mauryas (7-8th century AD), 2.Pratiharas (9-10th century AD), 3.Parmaras (10-11th century AD), 4.Solankis (12th century AD) and lastly by 5.Guhilots or Sisodias.

During its long history the fort suffered three sacks, the first in AD 1303 by Alauddin Khiliji, the second in AD 1535 by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and the third by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in AD 1567-68 and each time the Jauhar was performed. Its eventful history and rich monumental heritage is characterised by its strong fortifications, gateways, bastions, palaces, temples, towers and reservoirs which are fine examples of Rajput architecture.

The following are the brief account of important monuments inside the fort

Gateways

The fort has seven gateways, the first is known as Padal Pol followed by Bhairav Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jorla Pol, Lakshman Pol and finally Ram Pol which was built in AD 1459. The gateway located on the eastern side of the fort is known as Suraj Pol.

Kumbha Palace

The palace derives its name after Maharana Kumbha (AD 1433-68) who undertook extensive repairs to the old edifices. The entrance to the palace is through two gateways known as Badi Pol and Tripolia Gate leading further to Suraj Gokhra, Zanana Mahal, Kanwarpada-ka-Mahal in the open courtyard. The palaces of Pannadhai and Meerabai are situated in the southern part of this palace complex.

Padmini Palace

Named after Rani Padmini, the beautiful queen of Rana Ratan Singh, the palace stands at the northern periphery of the Padmini pond. It is said that it was from here Alauddin Khilji took a glimpse of legendary beauty of Rani Padmini through a mirror and subsequently attacked the fort. A three storeyed pavilion known as Jal Mahal stands in the middle of the pond.

Ratan Singh Palace

Located along the Ratneshwar pond, this palace is attributed to Rana Ratan Singh II (AD 1528-31). It is rectangular on plan and comprises a courtyard surrounded by rooms and a pavilion with balcony on the eastern part of the second storey.

Fateh Prakash Palace

This magnificent double storeyed palace was built by Maharaja Fateh Singh (AD 1884-1930). It is an edifice with a tower on each of its four corners crowned by domed chhattries. This palace is a grand specimen of modern Indian architecture and at present houses a museum.

Other havelis of relatively lesser significance include those of Alha Kabra, Fatta and Jaimal, Khatan-ka-Mahal and Purohitji-ki-haveli.

Kalika Mata Temple

Built by Raja Manbhanga in the 8th century AD, the temple was originally dedicated to Surya, which is evident from the image of Surya carved in the centre of doorjamb of the sanctum. It has undergone renovations from time to time. It consists of a garbhagriha, antarala, a closed mandapa and a porch. Presently, Kalika Mata or goddess Kali is worshipped as principal deity in the temple.

Samadhisvara Temple

Dedicated to Lord Siva, the temple was built by Bhoja Parmara in early 11th century AD. Later on Mokal renovated it in AD 1428. The temple consists of garbhagriha, an antarala and a gudha-mandapa with mukhmandapa (entrance porch) on all the three faces, i.e., northern, western and southern sides. A colossal image of three faced Shiva is enshrined in the sanctum.

Kumbhaswamin Temple

Originally dedicated to Varaha (boar incarnation of Vishnu) the temple was built in 8th century AD and largely renovated by Maharana Kumbha (AD 1433-68). It is built on a raised plinth and consists of a garbhagriha, an antarala, a mandapa, an ardhamandapa and an open pradakshinapath. An image of Varaha is shown in the principal niche on the back of the shrine. In front of the temple is an image of Garuda under a canopy. On the north, there is a small shrine known as Meera Mandir.

Sat Bis Deori

Locally known as Sat Bis Deori, this ground of twenty seven Jaina Shrines situated within a compound was built in AD 1448. The main shrine consists of garbhagriha, antarala, mandapa, sabhamandapa and mukhamandapa. To the east of the complex, there are two shrines facing east.

Kirttistambha

This magnificent tower locally known as Vijaya Stambha was built by Maharana Kumbha in AD 1448. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the tower is 37.19 m high and is divided into nine storeys. An inscription in the uppermost storey giving detailed chronological account of life and achievements of rulers of Chittaur was taken up by Rana Kumbha’s court scholar Atri and was later completed by his son Mahesh. One can reach up to the top storey through internally arranged flight of steps. The names of architect of this tower, Sutradhar Jaita along with his three sons Napa, Puja and Poma are also inscribed in the fifth storey.

Jain Kirti Stambha

This six storied tower having a height of 24.50 m is dedicated to Adinatha, the first Jaina Tirthankara. It was built by Shresthi Jija in AD 1300. The tower is built on raised platform and has internally arranged system of flight of steps. In the lower storey, images of standing Adinatha are depicted on all the four cardinal directions whereas upper storeys contain hundreds of miniature images of Jain divinities.

Gaumukha Kund

Situated to the south of Samadhisvara temple and adjacent to western rampart, the Gaumukha Kund is a large, deep, rock-cut tank with an irregular oblong shape. A perennial underground stream of crystal clear water flows into it from a small natural cave through a “Gaumukha” (Cow’s head shaped out let) hence this name.