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Kumbhalgarh is known for the 15th century fort at a distance
of around 84 km from Udaipur in the northwestern Indian state
of Rajasthan. The fort city is well connected to the other
parts of Rajasthan by road.
Castle in the sand !
Rana Kumbha of Mewar built this great defensive fortress on an
1100 m high hill overlooking the approaches from Ajmer and
Marwar in 15th century. Today, precisely because it is within
easy reach of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Pushkar- yet off
the well-trodden tourist- Kumbhalgarh is an attractive
destination.
Kumbhalgarh is the second most important bastion in the Mewar
region, after Chittorgarh. Where it now stands, was once the
site of an ancient citadel dating back to the 2nd century AD.
That citadel belonged to a Jain descendant of India's Mauryan
emperors. Rana Kumbha founded the fort of Kumbhalgarh in the
15th century. Kumbhalgarh in Rajasthan, India is one of the
few forts in India that remain unconquered till date. One of
the reasons behind this is the inaccessibility and hostile
topography of the fort. Maharana Fateh Singh got the fort
renovated in the 19th century.
The fort provided refuge to the rulers of Mewar in the times
of conflict, especially Udai, the baby king of Mewar. It is
also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, a legendary King of
Mewar. The fort was made in such a way to protect it against
the enemy forces. Encircling the fort is a 36 km long wall,
with width thick enough to accommodate eight horses abreast. A
self-sufficient fort, Kumbhalgarh was built with almost
everything within its premises, with a view to endure a long
siege. A number of palaces as well as temples inside the fort
add to its appeal. Only once in its lifetime, the fort fell to
the combined Mughal and Amber armies, that to because of a
scarcity of drinking water.
Apart from this magnificent fort, Kumbhalgarh travel and
tourism is known for a number of other attractions also. The
Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary is the perfect place for the
nature lovers. It is home to some of the exotic species of
animals as well as birds. Then there is the Muchchal Mahavir
temple, dedicated to Lord Mahavira and Haldighati, the venue
of a famous historical battle. One thing is for sure, that you
will not be disappointed with a visit to this fortress city.
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary: Spread over
an area of 578 sq km, the Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary is
home to a wide variety of wildlife. Wolf, leopards, sloth
bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, nilgai, four horned antelope,
chinkara, grey jungle fowl and a number of other animals
inhabit this sanctuary. A birds watcher's paradise, the
sanctuary serves as a habitat of peacocks, doves, red spur
owls, parakeets, golden oriole, gray pigeons, bulbul, white
breasted kingfisher, etc
Kumbhalgarh Fort: Rana Kumbha got the
Kumbhalgarh fort constructed in the 15th century. One of the
few forts in Rajasthan that have remained unconquered.
Kumbhalgarh was also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap,
Mewar's legendary king. The attractions of the fort include a
number of fascinating palaces and an array of temples inside
it. The fort is enclosed by a thick wall, running up to 36 km
and offers a splendid view of the surroundings.
Haldighati: Haldighati was the venue of the
famous battle fought between Rana Pratap (son of Udai Singh)
and the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1576 AD. Haldighati has a
chhatri (cenotaph) of Rana Pratap with white marble columns.
Also present, is a small chatri dedicated to Rana Pratap's
famous horse Chetak.
Muchchal Mahavir Temple: Muchchal Mahavir
temple is famous for a statue of Lord Mahavira with a
moustache, which it enshrines. Guarding the gateways of the
temple are two beautiful elephant statues. The temple is
situated in the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, approximately 5 km from
Ghanerao.
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