Rajasthan is the land of Intrigue, Mysticism, Enchantment, History, Culture, Traditions, Forts and Palaces and many many stories- told and untold alike hidden in the precincts of these Forts and Palaces. One such captivating Fortress with its many stories is the Huge, Majestic and spread over vast area is the Fort of Chittorgarh.
Let us take you on a tour of this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Fort
The fort is spread over 691.9 acres of hilly terrain and is accessible by a zig-zag road through the city of Chittor. The magnificent fort is guarded by seven gates or Pols, the main one being Rama Pol named after Lord Rama. The uniqueness of this Fort is that one can drive through the entire Fort complex and does not need to walk much. Also, there aren't any steep climbs and falls here unlike other Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Chittorgarh has seen many a battles, many a defeats, many a conquests and many a jauhars (suicide by Rajput women in eventuality of a siege). All this has undoubtedly left the Fort with many scars and thus we see only sections of ruins of the once prosperous Fort scattered all over the 691.9 acres. The history of this Fort is as old as history itself and there are many legends and folklore to keep one engaged and enraptured while traversing the paths that link one Palace to another, one Temple to another and one Tower to another. Also, many legendary historical personalities too are associated with this epic carved in stone.
Brief History
Built by Maurya ruler Chitrangada Maurya, the fort was originally called “Chitrakut”. Over the years the name changed to Chittor or Chittorgarh (garh means a fort). Another version of the origin of the Fort says that the legendary Pandava Bhim had struck the ground here forming a water body and the tank thus was named Bhimlat Kund and the Fort came to be built around the tank.
Chittorgarh was once the capital of Mewar kingdom. Mewar has had four capitals in all - Nagda, Chawand, Chittorgarh and Udaipur. Among the many dynasties that ruled over Chittorgarh, major part has been with the Paramaras and Sisodiyas with a few times where the Fort fell at the hands of Turkic and Mughal rulers too.
The Fort’s history dates back to the 7th century and the Fort has changed many hands since. The significant names among the rulers of Chittorgarh are Bappa Rawal, Rana Hammir Singh, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Rana Ratan Singh, Emperor Allauddin Khilji, Rana Uday Singh II, Emperor Akbar besides many others. Each battle and each siege is a complete book in itself and will take lot of time to narrate hence we keep this section very brief.
The Tour
Let us begin our tour with a hello to the inhabitants of the glorious Fort - many species of birds, cows and a huge population of the Langur monkeys (Macaques), the last ones being the most notorious as they are quite capable of laying claims to any eatables brought along by tourists and snatch away carry bags to enjoy the goodies inside.
We start our tour from the farthest point in the Fort Complex - Padmini Mahal or the Palace of Rani Padmini. This is a reconstructed palace on the lines of the original one and is adorned with beautifully manicured gardens inside, surrounded by three storied living quarters. Just as you lay your eyes upon the pristine gardens, the imaginations of the creative mind start galloping like unbridled horses. You are inside the palace of the most beautiful woman of her times, often compared to Cleopatra in her beauty and stature. The legend of Rani Padmini is often dismissed as a folklore and hearsay but the locals here believe in the reality of the tale. The palace is surrounded by a moat which still holds water in it. This palace complex is a photographer’s delight as there is so much beauty around to capture in one’s lens. It is believed that Rana Ratan Singh’s wife, Rani Padmini’s reflection was shown to Alauddin Khilji here through the reflection in the water of the moat. The emperor got so besotted and smitten by her beauty that he waged war against Mewar to capture her for himself. But the valiant Rajputs fought till the last drop of their blood and the women committed mass suicide by self-immolation (jauhar) once they realised that victory wasn’t coming to them this one time. The self - respecting Rajputs preferred death to captivity and ill treatment at the hands of the enemy.
Take your own sweet time to absorb the legend and the beauty of the palace and click away to your heart’s content. Beware of the monkeys though, they might come closer to inspect your stuff! Tired already? Snacks and Soft Drinks and Masala Chai and Coffee are available at the stalls right opposite the Palace Complex.
Move on and visit The Kalika Mata Mandir, The Jauhar Kund, Gaumukh Kund, Meera Mandir, Vijay Stambh and Kirti Stambh, Rana Kumbha Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace and many other small and big ruins of the legendary Fort of Chittorgarh.
The Temples of Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh Fort has many temples within the seven gates that guard the fort complex. Some small and some big and some so significant that devotees throng them all the year round.
Continuing with our tour back from Padmini Mahal, we arrive at the Kalika Mata Mandir (temple of Goddess Kali). It is believed that whatever you wish for here, comes true. The temple sees a lot of devotees throughout the year all day long. A few steps to climb and you enter the beautiful temple complex. Pay your obeisance here and make a wish. Those who get their wishes fulfilled come to offer Prasad and a saffron painted Trident, many of which can be seen in and around the temple.
Another very famous and revered temple is The Tulja Bhawani Temple dedicated to Goddess Tulja Bhawani and sees many devotees coming here too. There is a strong connection between faith and history. Most of the historical monuments have religious places of worship and see lot of people visiting these places all the year round to make a wish or to pay their respects.
As you walk along and explore the surroundings of the ruins you would see small rocks grouped and piled one over the other all over the place. This is another popular way of making a wish - that of making rock towers. People who are desirous of owning / building their homes come here and make small symbolic towers with loose rocks that are strewn all over the place.
Another famous temple here is the Meera Mandir - The temple where the legendary devotee of Lord Krishna, Meera Bai lived and worshipped her deity. There are two temples here next to each other - one where Meera Bai herself prayed and the other built in her honour. Here one finds the foot imprints of the renowned sage and poet Kavi Ravidas aka Raidas. It is believed that Meera Bai sang bhajans here all day and such was her devotion that she would forget to eat or drink and just get possessed by the true spirit of devotion. Irked by her devotion, her brother-in-law once tried poisoning her to death but it is believed that God’s blessings saved her from that too. She later on, like a nomad travelled from place to place singing the praises to her beloved Lord Krishna. Photography is not allowed in the original temple but you can take pictures of the other temple where Meera Bai’s statue also is installed.
The architectural excellence of that era was such that despite it being a hot summer day with temperatures touching 40 degrees celsius, the insides of all the temples and palaces were noticably cooler than the outside.
Moving ahead we reach another fenced and protected monument complex where one needs to walk along though the walk inside is barely a kilometre or so. As we entered the compound from the back-gate we met a few village women selling roasted peanuts and grams as snacks. Their attire, silver jewellery and spirit were all exquisite and beautiful. A few exchanges of kind words and a few pictures later we move on to visit the temples in this compound. Many of these temples are in ruins and the Archaeological Department has painstakingly and neatly arranged the chipped off and fallen pieces in the yard around the temples in hope to one day restore them maybe. Admiring the many temples one arrives at a path that goes a little downhill and leads to a water reservoir - this is the Gaumukh Kund which was the main water reservoir for the entire fort, there being 88 others but smaller than this one. Now only 22 of the original reservoirs remain and the source of water is rainwater. One can get a fantastic panoramic view of the city of Chittor from this vantage point. Jauhar Kund - the place where Rani Padmini and other brave Rajput women committed Jauhar, is also nearby. 
After spending some time here and clicking many more pictures we moved on to our next stop - Vijay Stambh - the tower of victory. This tower was built by Rana Kumbha to commemorate the many victories that the kingdom of Mewar achieved. A fine example of great architecture and beautiful carvings, this tower stands tall and signifies the indomitable spirit of the people of Mewar. This also is the most recognised tourist attraction of Chittor. The victory tower is so popular in Rajasthan that many trophies for various school / college / corporate competitions are designed as a replica of this tower. Another similar tower within the fort complex but much older than the Vijay Stambh is the Kirti Stambh. This tower is dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar (religious and spiritual teacher) - Adinath and is a little smaller than the Vijay Stambh. The tower is adorned by beautifully carved Jain Sculptures.
Our tour ends here as we exit the gates and move towards the city. We were tempted to visit the local markets for some silver jewellery and vibrant dress material but our next destination was beckoning us. Will soon share the details of that here, till then admire these pictures of the fabulous Chittorgarh Fort and read and learn more about the Maharanas of Mewar - their glory, courage and valour and get mesmerised by this one historical thread in the ever-so-wide panelled fabric of Incredible India!
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