KUMBHALGARH FORT
INTRODUCTION
 Located
64 kms north of Udaipur in the wilderness, Kumbhalgarh is
the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the
Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravali Ranges the fort was built
in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. Because of its inaccessibility
and hostile topography the fort had remained un-conquered.
It also served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times
of strife. The fort also served as refuge to the baby king
Udai of Mewar. It is also of sentimental significance as
it is the birthplace of Mewar's legendary King Maharana
Partap.
DESCRIPTION
The fort is self-contained and has within its amalgam almost
everything to withstand a long siege. The fort fell only once
that too to the combined armies of Mughal and of Amber for
scarcity of drinking water. Many magnificent palaces an array
of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque
place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The
fort also offers a superb birds view of the surroundings.
The fort's thick wall stretches some 36 kms and is wide enough
to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated
the fort in the 19th century. The fort's large compound has
very interesting ruins and the walk around it can be very
rewarding.
The Kumbhalgarh Fort also has a great significance by being
the birthplace of Maharana Pratap and as the finest examples
of defensive fortification in Rajasthan. The most interesting
part is that this fort has a fort within itself. Named Kartargarh,
the inner fort has a palace built by Maharana Fateh Singh
after he had pulled down the old palace built by Rana Kumbha.
Some remains of the old palace are still there below the
new one which includes the portion that had been occupied
by Prithvi Raj. Kartargarh has 365 temples and shrines including
one with a huge Shivlinga dedicated to Lord Shiva. The sanctuary
is famous for it's wildlife which includes- wolf, leopard,
jackal and a variety of birds. The sanctuary is one of the
few parks that allow people on horseback.
HOW TO REACH
Air- Udaipur is the nearest airport from
Kumbhalgarh, which is serviced by regular flights to and from
cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur.
Rail- The nearest Railhead from Kumbhalgarh
is Udaipur. The railway network links Udaipur to Delhi,
Mumbai, Jaipur and other cities of India.
Road- Kumbhalgarh is well connected to
Udaipur, which in turn is linked to other major cities in
Rajasthan, Gujarat and other neighboring states.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
October to February
|
