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Kumbhalgarh Forts

Royalty and splendour of Rajasthan always captivate my imagination and fascination which brings me to this place time and again. Last week I with my two friends planned to spend our weekend at Kumbhalgarh Fort which is located 84 km from Udaipur. We reached Udaipur, popularly known as the Venice of the East in the morning by Mewar Express from Delhi. After reaching here we hired a taxi and reached Kumbalgarh Fort after 2 hours of road journey.

Kumbhalgarh is a fortress located in Rajsamand District of Rajasthan. It is perched over the Aravalli Hills and is the second most important fort, after the Chittaurgarh Fort, of India. Perimeter of this fort’s walls is extended over 36 kilometres in length which is longest in the world after ‘The Great Wall of China’. Inside the fort premises there are 360 temples out of which 300 are ancient Jain temples and the rest are Hindu temples.

We visited every nook and corner of this majestic fort without any guide. The architectural supremacy and grandiose construction of this fort stunned us during our exploration. The complex structure of this fort enabled it to withstand several attacks from the Gujarat, Malwa and Mughals armies. Built by Rana Kumbha, the fort is situated over 6,233 feet above sea level . It is also the birth place of the legendary King Maharana Pratap. While exploring this royal structure we paid a short visit to Andheri Gate, Suraj Pol, Salim Mahal, Chand Pol, Jai Pol and Laxman Pol.

Among all these places of interest the Badal Mahal is most fascinating aspect of the Kumbhalgarh Fort. It is highest place of the fort which was built by Rana Fateh Singh in the 19th century. I was totally mesmerised by the the view of pastel coloured walls and its changing shades according to sun inclinations. This place offers best scenic views of the entire city and dense greens of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. From this point one can also see the 36 km long serpentine boundary wall of this fort.

Some of the equally beautiful structures of this glorious forts are Salim Sagar, Nikumbh Mahal, Suraj Kund and Jal Mahal. This fort also houses a number of small and large towers which offer fascinating bird’s eye view of the surroundings.

The most absorbing part of this place is the resonating sound of Sarangi, Thori, Kamaycha, Ektaara and Mochng which narrate the heroic deeds and love stories of Rajasthan. Seated on the rooftop watching the magnificence of the royal culture with melodious background music was the most captivating part of this tour which will remain intact in my memory forever.

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Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan

36 km long boundary wall, over 360 temples inside the Fort complex, graceful Bengal caned marble columns, and delicate latticed balconies – Can anyone actually resist himself for visiting such an amazing place? After going through the Kumbhalgarh Travel Guide, I packed my bag and hired a taxi for such historically important destination. After a drive of 85 km from Udaipur, through the dense greens and fascinating valleys of the Aravallis, I finally reached Kumbhalgarh. The very first impression was marked to me by the entrance of the fort, which was as huge as I could ever imagine.

While taking the entrance ticket, I hired a guide and headed for one of the most surprising sites I have ever seen. Suresh, the guide, told me that this 15th century structure is the second most important fort in Rajasthan after the Chittaurgarh Fort and boasts of being the birth place of the legendary King Maharana Pratap. Snuggled over 6,233 feet above sea level, the fort was built by Rana Kumbha. While peeping into the royal structures inside the fort, we paid short visits to the Salim Mahal, Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Kishan Pol and Andheri Gate.

Badal Mahal is the highest place in the fort, built by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. I could actually feel the pleasant winds kissing my reflection on the pastel colored walls while I was gazing at the long serpentine lines of the fort walls and distant landscapes. It offers the best of scenic view of the entire city and dense greens of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. The best view from such a high point was of the 36 km long boundary wall that boasts of being the second longest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. While having lunch at the restaurant at the entrance of the fort, Suresh told me that the entire fort comprises of about 365 temples. But as we were running short of time, I asked him to show me the most revered one. He took me to the Shiva Temple, which comprises a huge Shiva Linga (Phallic form).

Jal Mahal, Nikumbh Mahal, Salim Sagar and Suraj Kund were equally beautiful structures. The fort, with 15 large and 51 small towers, offers splendid bird’s eye view of the surroundings. Kumbhalgarh Fort and its ruins, positioned in the midst of Aravalli ranges, were far more appealing than my imagination.

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