“Garh to Bas Chittorgarh, baki Sab Garhiya” goes the saying in Rajasthan. Translated it means “Chittorgarh is the only fort, rest of all are fortresses”. At a first glance Chittorgarh does not present a very pretty picture, unlike the lavish splendor of Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan or Udaipur’s Lake Palace. Nor does it have the imposing grandeur of Jaisalmer’s Sonar Kella or Jaipur’s Amber Fort. Most of the fort is in ruins, except for the imposing Vijaya Stambha, and the design again looks rather utilitarian.
But it is when you look at the background of this fort, that you feel its true spirit. Chittorgarh was the capital of the Mewar kingdom. Mewar, a name synonymous with bravery, honor and pride.Rajputs as a race have been associated with pride and courage, but those of Chittorgarh seem to have an extra dose of it. This was the only Rajput kingdom which refused to surrender to Akbar, and even after theMughal Army conquered it, they were never allowed to rest in peace. This was the fort where Rani Padmini commitedJauhar or mass immolation on fire, rather than falling into the hands of the invaders. Maharana Pratap, swore not to eat in silver vessels, and slept on the ground, until he re captured this fort from the Mughals. And yes this is the place where Mira Bai composed those wonderful bhajans in praise of Lord Krishna.
In 734 A.D, Bappa Rawal, founded the kingdom of Mewar, with Chittorgarh as the capital. For quite a long time, it remained in the hands of the Gehlot clan of Rajputs, who wereBappa Rawal’s descendants. In 1303 A.D, Allaudin Khilji attacked and captured Chittor fort, and this was when the famous Jauhar of Rani Padmini took place. Though all the Rajputs defending the fort were killed, there were some who managed to escape and survive. One such person was Hamir who hailed from the village of Sisoda. Hamir recaptured Chittor back in 1326, and crowned himself as Rana Hamir Singh. He started the usage of the title Rana and he changed the dynasty name to Sisodia, after the village he hailed from.
Golden Age of Mewar
Hamir’s great grandson Rana Kumbha, came to the throne, after his father Rana Mokal, was assassinated by his own brothers Mera and Chacha in 1433 A.D. Though initially he was supported by Ranmal Rathore, he later had him assassinated and gained full powers. To commemorate his decisive victories over Mahmud Khilji, Sultan of Malwa, he erected the famous Vijay Stambha. He also erected around 32 forts, and the famous fort of Kumbhalgarh, which contains the Great Wall of India, a 36 km long wall, that is the second longest after the Great Wall of China.Rana Kumbha’s rule has been called as the Golden Age of Mewar. Himself a renowned writer of works like Samgita Raja, Sudaprabandha and Kamaraja Ratisara, he also patronized a number of poets and writers.
Mughal Rule
Rana Sanga made Mewar the most powerful Rajput state, and was one of the hardiest warriors. In 1527 however he was betrayed by his own general Shiladityaand lost to Babar at the Battle of Khanwa. For all their bravery and valour, the Rajput army was no match for Babar’s superior fire power and artillery. Cannons were used for the first time in India here, and coupled with betrayal by his associates, Sanga was defeated and died a heart broken man some years later. The Battle of Khanwa would mark the beginning of the Mughal rule in India.In 1568 Emperor Akbar again recaptured the fort of Chittorgarh, after some heroic defence by Jaimal. Rana Udai Singh II, later founded the city of **Udaipur, which became the capital of Mewar.
Udai Singh’s son Rana Pratap had a dream of re capturing Chittorgarh back from the Mughals. He vowed not to sleep on beds, nor eat from silver vessels, till his Chittorgarh was recaptured. One of the bravest and most valiant heroes, he was the only Rajput king, who refused to accept Akbar’s rule. In1576, the famous Battle of Haldighati took place. Inspite of Pratap’s valor and the Rajput’s fierce resistance, the numerical superiority and fire power of Mughals prevailed. In the end however it was a pyhric victory for the Mughals, as they suffered great losses.
Rana Pratap** later with the help of the Bhils recaptured many forts in Mewar from the Mughals. However his dream of recapturing Chittorgarh was never realized in his lifetime, and later with Udaipur becoming the capital, Chittorgarh lost it’s importance.
Chittorgarh Fort*
The main center of attraction is the Vijay Stambha or the Tower of Victory. At a height of 37 m with 9 stories and 157 steps, this tower completed in 1458 AD has a number of inscriptions from the Ramayan and Mahabharat inscribed on it. This tower can be seen from the town of Chittorgarh, located at the foothills and is an awesome spectacle in the evening decorated with lights.
Older than the Vijaya Stambha is the Keerti Stambha built by a Jain merchant Jijaji Kathod in the 12th century. This 22 m high, 7 story structure is dedicated to the Jain tirthankar Lord Adinath and is a fine specimen of Jain architecture.The Gaumukh reservoir where water flows out of a rock formation in shape of cow’s mouth, and Queen Padmini’s palace are other important spots.
The fort itself has 7 gates or Pols, with Ram Pol and Suraj Pol being the main gates. Other attracgtons include Kumbha Shyam temple which was built for Meerabai to facilitate her worship of Lord Krishna.
How to reach there?
If you are traveling by flight, the nearest airport is Udaipur, about 90 km from Chittorgarh. It is accessible by train from Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Ajmer and Kota.
Shopping
The famous Thewa jewelrey( gold designs embedded in glass) and Wooden Painted toys from Bassi village are a collector’s delight. You can also try out the colorful leather shoes or juthis made out of camel leather.
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