When it comes to traveling around Rajasthan, there are many places where one can go and enjoy the beauty of this state. But Chittorgarh fort is one of those places where thousands of people come and visit it because of its excellent heritage history and architecture. Chittorgarh fort which was initially called as Chitrakoot is one of the most massive forts in India. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site, and that’s why so many foreign tourists come here and visit this beautiful place. The fort in old times used to be the capital of Mewar, and currently, it’s located in the town of Chittor, and that’s why some great battles happened at this place in this magnificent fort.
All about Chittorgarh Fort , Rajasthan
As earlier mentioned the Chittorgarh fort has an extensive history because many rulers tried to win this magnificent fort to show their strength. However, it’s been believed that the local Maurya ruler Chitrangada Maurya had built this fort and some also think the fort got its name from its builder. Guhila ruler Bappa Rawal had ruled the fort for many years but after many decades the sultanate ruler Alauddin Khilji took this fort and defeated king Ratan Sinha. There are many stories about the battle; it’s been believed by many local people that Allauddin Khilji defeated raja ratan Singh so that he can capture the king’s beautiful queen Padmini. However, queen Padmini did not surrender herself to Allauddin, and along with other women, she committed suicide by Jauhar (Indian custom of mass self-immolation).
The fort has spread in more than 700 acres of land which has the shape of a fish and it’s more than 13 KM tall. It’s not that much easy to climb this fort because one can approach it through Zig zag and difficult ascent of more than 1 KM so if you’re a not fan of scaling then you might want some help to reach to the top of this fort. The fort is surrounded by a huge (13 km) perimeter wall because of which it was used to be hard for enemies to enter into the fort.
Chittorgarh Fort Timing
One can visit this fort in between 9:30 AM to 5 PM daily, and they will get approximately 3-4 hours of visiting durations. One of the important thing which many tourists forget is to check the timings of the opening of the fort. The entry fees are just Rs 20 for adults and Rs 15 for small children.
How to Reach Chittorgarh from Udaipur
One can easily visit the fort from Udaipur from where the distance is not that much, and you can expect a single day trip. You can get a cab or taxi from Udaipur airport which normally charges around 3500 rupees for a whole day trip. However, if you are short of budget, then there’s no need to pay for the cab, and you can go through train to Chittorgarh which will save your time and money. There are many passengers and express trains which will take you to Chittorgarh without any hustle. While being at the fort try to get the information by yourself about it through googling but if you want more then you can hire a tourist guide also.
One shall have a proper pair of shoes since you will be required to climb through some hard rocks. You should beware of monkeys who roam around there also they might snatch some of your things.
Places around Chittorgarh Fort
When you’re at Chittorgarh fort don’t think there are no more places of attractions other than the fort. Because the fort is covered with lots of amazing places, there are many famous temples, a museum, and a river which gives you some beautiful sights. If you don’t know that much about other places around Chittorgarh fort then here you will find some information about each of them.
Seven Gates of the Fort
The Chittorgarh fort has seven gates through which one can enter and exit the fort. Out of these gates, one was built in the fifth century, and rest were built in 15 century. Ram Pol is the main gate through which one can enter the fort. These gates were built with massive stones and arches which provided full security to the fort from enemies.
Following are names of seven gates of the fort:-
- Ram Pol
- Padan Pol
- Bhairon Pol
- Hanuman Pol
- Jodala Pol
- Laxman Pol
- Ganesh Pol.
1. Vijay Stambh
विजय स्तम्भ chittorgarh
Vijay Stambh represents a significant victory achieved by Mewar king Rana Kumbha in 1448. The tower constructed by Rana Kumbha when he successfully defeated the armies of Malwa and Gujarat led by Mahmud Khilji. It’s been said that the King dedicates this tower to the Lord Vishnu.
2. Kirti Stambh
कीर्ति स्तंभ
Kirti Stambh is a 22-meter high tower which was built by a Jain merchant called Jeeja Bhagerwala. This tower shows the glory of Jainism during the reign of Rawal Kumar Singh.
3. Kalika Temple
As mentioned earlier the area of Chittorgarh fort is covered with some ancient temples and one of them Kalika Temple. This temple was built in the 8th century, but most of its upper parts are results of recent construction. One gets an excellent spiritual vibe when they enter into kalika mata temple.
4. Fateh Prakash Palace Museum
If you are a fan of visiting museum, then you can go to one of the oldest museums of Chittorgarh which is known as Fateh Prakash Palace Museum. The museum is one of the most visited museums in the entire Rajasthan and its famous for having some tremendous historical sculptures.
5. Gaumukh Reservoir
The fort has been covered with water by more than 40 percent which includes lakes, wells, step wells or baories. There were many reservoirs built in this fort by the local government from last many years, but Gaumukh Reservoir is one of the most significant water bodies you will find in here.
6. Rana Kumbha Palace
This palace is situated inside the Chittorgarh fort, and it represents one of the famous places in which ancient rulers used to live. According to many local citizens, the founder of the Udaipur city, Maharana Udai Singh was born in here, and in a strange situation, he was saved by a nurse called Panna Dai. It is also said that Queen Padmini did the Jauhar along with other women in this palace.
7. Padmini Palace
One of the most significant places located in Chittorgarh is this one. It’s situated amidst of water bodies, and this is the place where Alauddin Khilji was permitted to see the mirror image of Rani Padmini.
8. Meera Mandir
Meera Mandir is a famous Hindu temple which is located in Chittorgarh and as the name suggests it’s been dedicated to the poetess and saint Meera Bai. Meera Bai who was a princess gave up her lavish lifestyle and became famous for worshiping Lord Krishna and being a great poetess.
Final Words
So this is essential information which you need to have before you visit the Chittorgarh fort. Sometimes people don’t know what kind of places they are going to visit when they enter into Chittorgarh fort and after getting this information, you might not need to pay for a tourist guide. However, if you have got any questions or doubts then leave us a comment, and we will be glad to help you out.