A Land of Sacrifice
Chittorgarh : The town of the brave, known for its massive fort atop a hill, which can be singled out for its glorious past. The fort has achequered history, it has witnessed some of the bloodiest battles in history, three great sakas and some of the most heroic deeds of valour, which are still sung by the local musicians.
The antiquity of chittorgarh is difficult to trace, but it's believed that Bhim the legendary figure of the Mahabharata, visited this place to learn the secrets of immortality and became the disciple of a sage, but his impatience to perform all the rites deprived him of his goal, and out of sheer anger he stamped on the ground creating a water reservoir, this reservoir is called as BhimLat. Later on, it came under Mauryas or Muri Rajputs, there are different opinions as to when it came under the Mewar ruler, but it remained the capital of Mewar till 1568, when it was shifted to Udaipur. It's believed that Bappa Rawal the legendary founder of Sisodia clan, received Chittorgarh in the middle of 8th century, as a part of the dowry after marriage with lst Solanki princess, after that his descendants ruled Mewar which stretched from Gujrat to Ajmer, upto the 16th century.
The fort A standing senitel to the courage and valour of Chittorgarh, it stands tall over a 180 meter high hillock covering a massive area of 700 acres. The fort is believed to have been built by the Maurya rulers in 7th century A.D. The fort is a treasure house of history and historical monuments, the approach to the fort is very difficult. the one mile steep serpentine thoughfare is exhaustive and the fort is reached through huge seven pols or gates, which are infact the strong points having a watch tower and massive iron spiked doors. it was ravaged thrice, and each time phonix like it rose again. Allaudin Khilji was the first who invaded Chittorgarh in 1303, legend and history corroborate that this was because of his passionate desire to abduct Rani Padmini.
Rani Padmini
But she perferred death to dishonour, and committed Jauhar alongwith the other ladies of the court.
Chittorgarh was plundered again in 1535 by Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujrat and finally by the Moghul Emperor Akbar, in 1567, in and attempt to subdue Maharana Udai Singh.
The fort is approached through massive pols or gates.
Near Bhairon Pol, is a cenotaph or "Chattri" in honour of the chivalrous jaimal and his cousin Kala, who laid down their lives whilst defending Chittorgarh against the Mughals. Jaimal who was carried seriously wounded, but was not ready to die in his bed, thus he was carried into battle on the shoulders of his cousin Kala, both of them died while showing exemplary courage.
At Rampol is a memorial to Phatta, who was only 16 years old and had just been married, his father has already died defending Chittorgarh , and was sent into the battle by his mother, to free her son from any affection towards home she herself picked up a sword along with his bride and jumped into the battle field both of them died in front of Phatta. Next day the women folk of the palace ended their lives by committing Johar. Phatta leading the safron robed men from the front thundered down like lightening from the mighty fortress to die fighting. The other major gates are Pada Pol and Hanuman Pol, with a distinct Rajput style of architecture.
Chittorgarh Fort : As the largest fort in Asia, it expands over 280 hectares. The fort boasts of the best canopied balconies. It consists of the Naulakha Bhandar ( nine lakh treasury), the Jain temple, the dual towers, and the cenotaphs of the sons of Udai Singh, Jaimal and Kulla.One can also see the Tower of Victory, Rana Kumbha’s palace, Padmini’s palace and Fateh Prakash palace here. It has the ruins of the stables for horses used in battles of yore. A must see for any history lover.
Vijay Stambh Or the Tower of Victory : This was built in memory of Maharana Kumbha winning against Mahumud Khilji. This tower of nine stories has the sculptures of Hindu deities, gods and goddesses. There are 157 steps here, which take us to the top of the tower. There is a beautiful panoramic view of the city from here. This is a tourist’s delight and a treat for the tourist eye.
The Kirti Stambh or the Tower of Fame : This is a seven storied tower which was built by a rich Jain merchant in the 12th century AD. The merchant built this in memory of Adinath, the first Jain Teerthankar. It is 22 metres high and we can reach the top by climbing narrow stairs which lead us up. Again a sure bet for a traveller’s content.
Rana Kumbha Palace : Though almost in ruins now, it has remains of a stable of yore for horses and elephants. There is also a Shiv temple. The palace is found within the Chittorgarh fort. “Jauhar” the act of self immolation by the Rajputs, has conspicuous traces here and the past glory and bravery of the Rajputs is rekindled when we visit this palace. The treasury building, The Archaeological Museum and the Singa Chowri temple is also found in the palace. The sheer extravanganza of the past should be experienced and this place is a must see.
Padmini Palace : The Chittorgarh fort has this palace to its south. It is built on a lotus pool and the centre portion is occupied by a pavilion. The Mughal invader Alauddin Khilji was smitten by the beauty of the queen and he was allowed to see her reflection on this pool. This indirect insult provoked him to invade this palace to possess her. The palace had a small prison nearby which had captured the invaders and the Sultan of Malwa. Besides, all this, we also can see the Adbhutnath temple, Bhimlat temple, Surajpol, and the Neelkanth Mahadeva Jain temple. The valor and grace of Padmini and the dignity of “Jauhar” gives this place a thumbs up for a dekko.
Kalika Mata Temple : IN the 8th century a temple was built for the Sun God. This temple got converted to a place of worship for the Indian deity Kali. Any tourist would love to see the pure sculpted temples in this place.
Lokhota Bari : This lies in the northern part of the Chittorgarh fort. At the southern end there is a small opening for the criminals and traitors to be thrown into an abyss below.
Ganmukh Reservoir : This is found in the fort as we come down the Sammadhieshwar temple. This is a deep tank at the cliff edge. The name has its origin from a spring which gives water to the tank. There is a cliff which is shaped like a cow. Water falls from the cow’s mouth. The opening here leads to the site where “jauhar” was committed by Queen Padmini and her other Rajput women.
Vijay Stambh Or the Tower of Victory : This was built in memory of Maharana Kumbha winning against Mahumud Khilji. This tower of nine stories has the sculptures of Hindu deities, gods and goddesses. There are 157 steps here, which take us to the top of the tower. There is a beautiful panoramic view of the city from here. This is a tourist’s delight and a treat for the tourist eye.
The Kirti Stambh or the Tower of Fame : This is a seven storied tower which was built by a rich Jain merchant in the 12th century AD. The merchant built this in memory of Adinath, the first Jain Teerthankar. It is 22 metres high and we can reach the top by climbing narrow stairs which lead us up. Again a sure bet for a traveller’s content.
Rana Kumbha Palace : Though almost in ruins now, it has remains of a stable of yore for horses and elephants. There is also a Shiv temple. The palace is found within the Chittorgarh fort. “Jauhar” the act of self immolation by the Rajputs, has conspicuous traces here and the past glory and bravery of the Rajputs is rekindled when we visit this palace. The treasury building, The Archaeological Museum and the Singa Chowri temple is also found in the palace. The sheer extravanganza of the past should be experienced and this place is a must see.
Padmini Palace : The Chittorgarh fort has this palace to its south. It is built on a lotus pool and the centre portion is occupied by a pavilion. The Mughal invader Alauddin Khilji was smitten by the beauty of the queen and he was allowed to see her reflection on this pool. This indirect insult provoked him to invade this palace to possess her. The palace had a small prison nearby which had captured the invaders and the Sultan of Malwa. Besides, all this, we also can see the Adbhutnath temple, Bhimlat temple, Surajpol, and the Neelkanth Mahadeva Jain temple. The valor and grace of Padmini and the dignity of “Jauhar” gives this place a thumbs up for a dekko.
Kalika Mata Temple : IN the 8th century a temple was built for the Sun God. This temple got converted to a place of worship for the Indian deity Kali. Any tourist would love to see the pure sculpted temples in this place.
Lokhota Bari : This lies in the northern part of the Chittorgarh fort. At the southern end there is a small opening for the criminals and traitors to be thrown into an abyss below.
Ganmukh Reservoir : This is found in the fort as we come down the Sammadhieshwar temple. This is a deep tank at the cliff edge. The name has its origin from a spring which gives water to the tank. There is a cliff which is shaped like a cow. Water falls from the cow’s mouth. The opening here leads to the site where “jauhar” was committed by Queen Padmini and her other Rajput women.
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