Chittorgarh 

Chittorgarh a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the largest fort in India. Chittor was the capital of “The Kingdom of Mewar” till the Royal family moved to Udaipur. Chittorgarh is a symbol of Rajput Chivalry resistance and bravery and has witnessed a lot of bloodshed over centuries due to its strategic position and importance.

The Ruins run chills down the spine. Stories traveling as folklore fill you with gratitude and immense respect for Rajput Chivalry, who fought selflessly and protected our ancestors from conversion and massacre.

The freedom we have today is at the cost of countless sacrifices.

The Fort is built on a 180-meter high hill covering 700 acres and has seven gates. The fort houses many palaces, temples, towers, and historically significant monuments.

Main Places to Visit

7 gates of Chittorgarh

From the base to the hilltop, the Paidal Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jorla Pol, Laxman Pol, and Ram Pol, are the final and main gates.

Rana Khumba Palace

Now in complete ruins, this palace was rebuilt by Maharana Kumbha on a ruined palace that was built in 734 AD by Bappa Rawal.

Maharana Kumbha lived most of his life in this palace.

The founder of Udaipur Rana Udai Singh was born here.

Krishna devotional poet-saint MeeraBai lived here most of her life.

Kirti Stambh

Chittor has a history of Jain culture going back several centuries. In the 12th century, a tower was built by a Jain merchant. Built-in Solanki architecture stands 72ft high and is adorned with beautiful carvings.

Vijay Stambh

Rana Kumbha, in 1448 commemorated his victory over the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat led by Mahmud Khilji. The tower is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The topmost story features an image of the Jain Goddess, Padmavati. Rana Kumbha also had the word Allah carved in Arabic nine times in the third story and eight times in the eighth.

Samadhishwar Temple

Dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built in the 11th century. The main sanctum is enshrined with three-faced Shiva.

The ruins of the ancient temples were destroyed during many invasions.

On the north of the temple is Gaumukh Kund.

We all have read about the multiple invasions, Jauhar and Chittorgard in our history books, but sitting here witnessing the ruins and the untold stories which our guide shared with us filled my heart with rage and sadness at the same time.

Across multiple wars, more than 1 lakh people were massacred or burnt alive here. Our guide told us when Khilji and his army finally entered the fort, they mercilessly butchered every person they saw. Breastfeeding kids were snatched from their mothers and killed in front of their mothers who were then raped and killed. They destroyed temples, and some ruins of these temples are still preserved.

How to reach

~ 3 hours drive from Udaipur. ~ 2.5 hours drive from Khumbhalgad. ~ 3 hours drive from Mount Abu.

Where did we stay

We didn’t stay in Chittorgarh, we covered it on the road trip from Kumbhalgad to Udaipur.

Travel Tip