Chittorgarh Fort situated at Chittorgarh in the state of Rajasthan is known as the largest fort of India. This fort used to be the capital of Mewar and was ruled by Guhilot, Sisodias, Suryavanshi clans until it was abandoned after the siege by Emperor Akbar.

Chittorgarh Fort, Mewar History :

Rani Padmini's Water Palace

It is spread over a hill (area of 280 ha and height 180 m) above the plains of valley. Chittorgarh Fort is quite famous all over the world and is constantly visited by many tourists throughout the year. The Chittorgarh Fort has been sacked thrice between 15^th and 16^th centuries. The great Rajput Warriors and their women sacrificed their lives giving a fine example of courage, nationalism and medieval chivalry.

Allaudin Khilji obsessed with desire to capture Rani Padmini, rallied his forces against Mewar in 1303 AD. The Chittorgarh Fort was impregnable and all efforts of Allaudin Khilji were futile. Khilji sent a request through his messenger to Rana Ratan Singh that if he allowed Khilji to view image of Rani Padmini, he will stop the siege and return back to Delhi.

Rana agreed to his request and allowed him to view Padmini through a set of mirrors.  After fulfilling Khilji’s request Rana accompanied him to outer gate, but Rana was double-crossed and captured by Khilji’s men. Somehow the brave soldiers of Rana managed to rescue him and took him to the fort. This followed with a fierce battle and finally Rana was killed and the Rajputs lost the battle to Khilji’s men. This followed with the royal Rajput ladies led by Rani Padmini to perform Jauhar (self immolation on a pyre).

The Tower of Victory (Vijay Stambh) is a popular tourist attraction in Chittorgarh Fort. It was built by Maharana Kumbha in 1440 AD in order to commemorate his victory over Mohammed Khilji. It is a 9-storyed tower with steps leading to terrace with balconies. Other monuments and sites of concern for tourists are Gaumukh reservoir, Read the rest of this entry »

In the eighth century, Bappa Rawal received Chittor as a dowry. It was basically a long hill (seven miles), with several temples, palaces, fortifications and towers. The descendants of Bappa Rawal ruled Mewar for almost eight centuries. Chittor was considered to be impregnable, but was attacked three times by the invaders. The battle of Chittorgarh is one of the significant historical events of India, which gives the account of the Rajputs putting up a heroic fight till their death.

Historical Battle of Chittorgarh :

Chittorgarh

Allauddin Khilji was the Sultan of Delhi in 1303. He had heard about the exceptional beauty of Padmini, the queen of Mewar. Led by the desire to possess her, Allauddin decided to siege the fort of Chittor. On 28^th January he invaded the Rajput stronghold and surrounded Chittor. A message was sent to Rana Rattan Singh. It was told in this message that the Allauddin would lift the siege if he could meet Padmini.

Rana Rattan Singh agreed to a point that Allauddin could look upon the reflection of queen in the mirror. Finally the sultan was able to see the reflection of Padmini’s face and was later accompanied by Rana Rattan Singh out of the fort. But in a very treacherous manner the Sultan’s men took Rana hostage, which resulted into a battle.

Somehow the Rana’s men managed to rescue him, but till then 7,000 brave Rajput warriors have died. The defeat was unavoidable and surrender was unthinkable in all regards. Therefore the brave rani, and the wives of soldiers and generals performed jauhar to save their honor. Their men fought gallantly to the enemies and sacrificed their lives for Chittor. This is how the battle of Chittor ended. After the victory of Chittor, Allauddin appointed his son Khizar Khan as its Governor and changed the name of this place to Khizrabad. Read the rest of this entry »

Chittorgarh is one of most the famous cities of Rajasthan which is located in western India. Situated at the banks of river Berach and Gambhiri, it is also known as the former capital of the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar. Chittor is of great historical significance, as it boasts of glorious past.

Chittorgarh Rajasthan :

Chittorgarh

Chittorgarh is truly a land of legends, which is home to the largest fort in Asia. This fort is known by the name of Chittorgarh Fort, which was attacked thrice by the invaders. But each time the brave Rajputs fought gallantly and we cannot forget Jauhar committed by the ladies and children to save their honor. This fort of Chittorgarh is the symbol of glorious Rajput tradition.

The brave people of Chittor preferred death instead of surrendering against enemies. This historical land has given birth to great warriors like Maharana Pratap who fought against Mughals until death. It is a fact which cannot be denied that even his enemies respected him for his bravery.

The history of Chittorgarh can be traced back to the Mahabharata. This is the legendary tale of ‘Bhim Lat’, which has been verbally passed from one generation to another since ancient times and has become a popular folklore among the local community. The legend tells us of the ground being stomped by the brave Bhim with mighty force, which lead to the formation of a water body.

Today several tourists from all over the world flock this magnificent city to observe the great Rajput architecture with a mix of Mughal influence on them. Some of the famous places of interest are the Kalika Mata Temple, Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower), Kirti Stambh, Rana Kumbha’s Palace and Rani Padmini’s Palace. Chittorgarh can be reached easily by a bus or a train. The Dabok Airport in Udaipur is the closest airport. It is at the distance of 90 km from Chittor.  Read the rest of this entry »