Kumbhalgarh Fort

Kumbhalgarh Fort Located 64 kms north of Udaipur in the wilderness, Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravali Ranges the fort was built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. Because of its inaccessibility and hostile topography the fort had remained un-conquered. It also served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strife. The fort also served as refuge to the baby king Udai of Mewar. It is also of sentimental significance as it is the birthplace of Mewar's legendary King Maharana Partap. The fort is self-contained and has within its amalgam almost everything to withstand a long siege. The fort fell only once that too to the combined armies of Mughal and of Amber for scarcity of drinking water. Many magnificent palaces an array of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The fort also offers a superb birds view of the surroundings. The fort's thick wall stretches some 36 kms and is wide enough to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century. The fort's large compound has very interesting ruins and the walk around it can be very rewarding.

History of Kumbhalgarh Fort
There is a story behind this striking fort according to which when Rana Kumbha began constructing the fort, he came across several difficulties after which he thought of giving up on the construction. One day, he met a holy man who advised him not to give up hope and that one day all his problems would vanish away provided a pure-hearted man sacrificed his life willingly. Hearing this, the king got disappointed after which the holy man offered his own life to the king. He told the king to build the entrance of the Kumbhalgarh Fort where he was going to get beheaded and palaces where all his body would fall. Following his advice, Rana Kumbha did exactly what was told to him and succeeded in building the majestic fort.

Kumbhalgarh marked different territories between Mewar and Marwar and was used as a place to escape to whenever there was an attack. Prince Udai ruled the Kumbhalgarh Sort as well and was the founder of the city of Udaipur. This admirable fort remained unconquerable throughout its existence except for the one time when there was a scarcity of drinking water to Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Marwar and the Mirzas of Gujarat.

This fort is said to be the place where Maha Rana Pratap was born. It was attacked by Ahmed Shah I of Gujarat in 1457 but to no good. The locals believed that there was the presence of Banmata deity in the fort which protected the fort as its temple was destroyed by Ahmed Shah I. Further attempts were made by Mohammad Khilji in 1458-59 and 1467. Shabhbaz Khan, general of Akbar finally gained power over the fort in 1576. It was later taken over the Marathas and the residential buildings, as well as temples, still remain intact.

Architecture of Kumbhalgarh Fort
The Kumbhalgarh Fort lies on a hilltop which is 1100 meters above sea level. The gate of the striking fort is humongous and is also known as Ram Gate or Ram Pol. The fort comprises of around seven gates and a total of 360 temples within, 300 of which are ancient Jain while the others are Hindu. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva inside which showcases a huge Shivalinga. One can also get a pretty view of the dunes in the Thar Desert from the fort.

The walls of the Kumbhalgarh Fort are 36 km in diameter making them one of the longest walls in the world. Frontal walls of the fort are thick and measure 15ft. There is a Lakhola Tank present inside this resplendent fort which was constructed by Rana Lakha between 1382 and 1421 CE. It is situated on the Western side of Kelwara town and is 5 km in length & 100-200 m in width. It had a depth of around 12m during independence which has now been increased to 18m. Aaret Pol, Halla Pol, Ram Pol and Hanuman Pol are the major gates of the fort. On the foot of the Hanuman Pol is the presence of an inscription indicating its detailed construction. Bad Shahi Bavdi is a stepped tank which was constructed when Shahbaz Khan invaded India in 1578. The Ram Pol is an architectural wonder from where one can witness all the other buildings easily.

How To Reach Kumbhalgarh Fort
Located in the Rajsamand district, 84 km away from Udaipur it is well connected to the main city via all means of transport. Bus services are quite prominent. Rajasthan State Government run ordinary and deluxe buses that stop around 50 km from the fort. From there, you can hire a taxi to reach the Kumbhalgarh fort. Another enjoyable way to reach the fort is by becoming a part of the regular trekking trip which is organised by Youth Hostels Association of India once every year. This trip is 5 days and 4 nights long and covers a total of 40.5 km including the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary as well as Kumbhalgarh Fort.