Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the most visited forts in Rajasthan and attracts thousands of visitors every year. One can also go on a camel safari ride at Kumbhalgarh Fort as well. The fort is very near to Agra, around 50 km from this historical city. The Shamshan Bhagwati Temple is located here which attracts a lot of tourists as well. So there are a lot of things to do in and around this place which makes it all the more attractive.
Kumbhalgarh is one of the most prominent forts in Rajasthan. Built in the 15th century, the fort was immensely popular during the Mughal era and is known to have turned out to be invincible through all-natural disasters.
Visitors are welcome at Kumbhalgarh Fort today, but beware that photography inside the fort’s buildings is not allowed. The animals that roam freely inside were domesticated centuries ago by Maharana Pratap when he ruled. Apart from wandering Bhavan’s (water buffaloes), visitors are likely to see donkeys, cows and horses with their herdsman grazing in green fields amid walls of stone ramparts.
History
Kumbhalgarh was built by Maharana Kumbha in the 15th century, during the reign of the Solanki kings. He was a brave king and during his reign, one of his generals killed Veerapandya, who ruled Vijaynagar. He attacked Vijaynagar in retribution and after defeating Veerapandya’s son Virupaksha Raya, he returned to Kumbhalgarh with the famous Shalivahana diamond. Maharana Kumbha used this spectacular diamond as a finial on top of his throne which can be seen even today.
It is said that the fort was built in 1459. In 1546, Kumbhalgarh captured the entire Anhilwara region which included the cities of Chittor and Udaipur. When the Mughal army stormed the fort they found a treasure of 100,000 pieces of gold and silver plate. The Maharana abandoned Kumbhalgarh and fled to Udaipur. infact, The Mughals were force to retreat after two months of fighting at Kumbhalgarh.
The fort was abandoned for 150 years but was later reclaime by Maharana Jayasimha, who extend it and make it impregnable. The fort was then famous as Kumbhalgarh, meaning the fort of the god Kumaon.
Location
The Kumbhalgarh Fort is located in the town of Kumbhalgarh, approximately 70 kilometres from Udaipur and 150 kilometres from Jaipur. It was built by ‘Maharana’ Pratap Singh. Its architecture is Mughal and Shiv temple construction. These temples were built by Maharana Pratap, son of Rustam Singh. Also, the fort also has a temple for Maharshi Hanuman who is known as Saraswati Mahraj Rishabh Dev Ji. This is a Kali temple and water for the annual festival of ‘Rath yatra’ comes from a “Gandhi” (peepal tree).
Kumbhalgarh Fort is a magnificent, impressive structure in Rajasthan – a medieval marvel that was built to repel invaders. It is located about 130 km from Udaipur and was built by Maharana Kumbha in the 15th century. The Fort has a perimeter of 14 kilometres and can be seen from 16 kilometres away. It’s one of the strongest hill forts in India.
There are ancient forts in many places of India; however, most of them are not being maintained properly because there is no sufficient budget available for this purpose. Also, this Kumbhalgarh fort is famous for its beauty and magnificence.
The architecture of Kumbhalgarh Fort
Kumbhalgarh was build by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century and is one of the strongest hill forts in India. The fort has three lines of fortifications- external, middle and internal. The external fortifications include massively heightened battlements. The middle fort has seven massive gateways called “Pols”. The external and middle lines have moats surrounding them too.
In addition, there are at least seven lakes inside the Kumbhalgarh Fort, three major ones being Madal (the biggest), Bhartatal and Dhoop Talav near Ravioli). The most interesting aspect is that there is no underground tunnel connecting any of the gates. People who are there in the fort are safe because they have only one way out and that is through the main gate. Clearly, there are several legends associates with the construction of Kumbhalgarh Fort. One of them says that Maharana Kumbha dreamt of a sacred cow asked him to build a fort on the hilltop and hence he started building this fort in the 15th century.
While the quadrangular towers of the inner fortress are built on an elevated terrace, these have been linked with each other by well-equipped stairs so that they cannot be easily stormed through. This fort is unique in itself because of its construction and the architectural style followed there. The main entrance to this fort is on the eastern side of Diwali Gate. And, It was build as an impregnable fortress which attracted the attention of many rulers. To gain access, one has to cross three valleys and three streams filled with water; it is a mountainous area surround by wood surroundings that are inaccessible by all means.
At Kumbhalgarh Fort, you can enjoy various tourist activities like:
Trekking,
Caving and scratch climbing,
Bird watching,
Zipline in kumbhalgarh fort,
Walking and camping.
Camping
Kumbhalgarh Fort is a popular destination for camping. The camps set up by trekking and adventure groups are very basic with no amenities. Campers choose to camp at Dronagiri near the entry gate of the Fort. There are no facilities for washing or sanitation but it is an unexplored location where you can get a feel of being at an offbeat place. This place is hardly use by tourists. One can experience the thrill of being in a truly natural setting and trying night walks around the Fort as well.
You Can also enjoy sightseeings like :
Kumbhalgarh Fort is a very prominent tourist place and you can clear your day in Kumbhalgarh by witnessing its beauty by checking out all the popular places of sightseeing like :
Shilpgram,
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (inside the Fort),
Baba Taraknath Jain Temple,
Nal Sarovar Lake.
One can reach up to the Kumbhalgarh Fort from Mount Abu by climbing the hills and passing through dense forests, passing streams and waterfalls, while enjoying nature’s beauty in its natural form.
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