|
|
 |
India Tour Online providing information on beach holidays
to india, indian beach tours, beach
tours of india, beach travel packages,
sun & sand beaches, popular beaches
of india, water sports in beaches,
entertainment in beaches, beach vacation
package, luxury beach resort vacations,
islands destination tours, goa india
beaches, beaches in orissa, kerala
beaches. |
 |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
| |
| |
| Chittorgarh
is an ancient and oldest city of Rajasthan
state of western India . It lies on the Berach
River , a tributary of the Banas, and is the
administrative headquarters of Chittorgharh
District, a former capital of the erstwhile
kingdom of Mewar . Chittorgarh is located
in the southern part of the state of Rajasthan,
in the northwestern part of India . It is
located beside a high hill near the Gambheri
River . It is 112 km from Udaipur and 182
km from Ajmer. |
| Brief
History |
| The history
of this town is written in blood and sacrifice.
The Kingdom of Mewar was founded by Bappa
Rawal, of the Guhilot clan of Rajputs, who
established himself as ruler of Mewar in 1734,
with Chittor garh (Chittor fort) as his capital.
Muslim rulers sacked it three times in the
medieval period. The first was by Ala-ud-din
Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in 1303. Khilji
laid siege of this hill fort to capture the
beautiful Padmini, the queen of Chittorgarh.
When the situation worsened, Bhim Singh, the
ruler of Chittorgarh, led his men donned with
saffron robes of sacrifice, and rode out of
the fort to certain death. Inside the fort,
women, including Padmini and the children,
committed mass suicide or jauhar by immolating
themselves on a huge pyre, rather than losing
their honor at the hands of the enemy. In
the middle of the 15th century, Chittorgarh
gained eminence when the legendary Rajput
ruler, Rana Kumbha, ruled it. He built the
Vijay Stambh ( Victory Tower ) to commemorate
his victory over Mahmud Khilji, the ruler
of Malwa, in 1440. Chittorgarh was sacked
again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan
of Gujarat. The jauhar that followed the siege
saw the death of 13,000 women and 32,000 Rajput
soldiers. The third and final siege took place
in 1568 at the hands of the great Mughal emperor
Akbar. Jaimal and Kalla, two Rajput generals,
valiantly defended the fort but with their
death and deteriorating situation, jauhar
was performed. However, Maharana Udai Singh
II, the ruler of Chittorgarh, fled to Udaipur
and re-established his rule. The Mughal emperor
Jahangir returned Chittorgarh to its rulers
in 1616. |
| However,
Chittorgarh remains replete with historic
associations and hold a special place in the
hearts of many Rajputs, as it was a bastion
of the clan at a time when every other stronghold
had succumbed to invasion. |
| How
to reach |
Chittorgarh can be easily
accessed through train and road as there does
not have an airport of its own.
By
Rail : Chittorgarh railway station
is located on the western banks of Gambheri
River, which connect Chittorgarh with all
the major cities of India such as Ahmedabad,
Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur, Kota and Delhi.
By Road : The main bus stand
is also on the western banks of Gambheri River
. There is good bus service for Ajmer , Bundi,
Kota and Udaipur from Chittorgarh.
|
| Climate
& Season |
| Chittorgarh
has a very arid climate. Summers are invariably
hot from April to June and winters are cool
between October to February. It experiences
scant rainfall between June and August. |
| Language |
| Rajasthani
and Hindi |
| Best
Attractions |
| Chittorgarh
is a fascinating and very interesting place
in Rajasthan. Today, It is a major tourist
attraction in the country. We list below a
selection of major attractions of Chittorgarh
– |
|
Vijay Stambh : The Victory
Tower , was built by Maharaja Kumbha in commemoration
of his victory over the Muslim rulers of Malwa
and Gujarat in 1440 AD. It is 37 metres high,
is an imposing structure of nine storeys.
|
|
Chittorgarh Fort : The indomitable
pride of Chittaur, the fort is a massive structure
with many gateways built by the literary rulers
in 7th century AD. Perched on a height of
180 m high hill, it sprawls over 700 acres.
The tablets and 'chhatris' within are impressive
reminders of the Rajput heroism. The ascent
to the Chittaurgarh Fort takes one through
zigzag paths interrupted at intervals by seven
enormous gateways or 'pols'. The main gates
are Padam Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol and
Ram Pol. The fort has many magnificent monuments
- all fine examples of the Rajput architecture.
The ancient ruins of the fort are worth spending
few moments in solitude. |
| Fateh
Prakash
Palace Museum
: Inside the historical
Chittaurgarh Fort, one big portion of Fateh
Prakash Palace in Chittorgarh was converted
into a museum in the year 1968. It has a great
collection of sculptures. Among the important
ones are Ganpati (8th - 9th century) from
Pangarh and lndra and Ambica statues from
Rashmi village of post medieval period. |
|
Kalika Mata
Temple
: Originally built as a Sun Temple
in the 8th century, the temple was later converted
into Kalika Mata Temple in the 14th century
AD, dedicated to the Mother Goddess Kali --the
symbol of power and valour. |
| Kirti
Stambh : The 22 metres high tower
built by a wealthy Jain merchant in the 12th
century AD The tower is dedicated to Adinathji,
the first of the Jain Tirthankaras and is
decorated with figures of the Jain pantheon.
|
|
Meera Bai
Temple
: The temple where Meera Bai worshipped
Lord Krishna is built in north Indian style
on a raised plinth with a conical roof and
beautiful inner sanctum. An open colonnade
around the sanctum has four small pavilions
in each corner. |
| Padmini's
Palace : The Chittorgarh fort perched
on a 180 mts. high hill, covering 700 acres,
was constructed by Mauryan rulers in the 7th
century. In the fort, this palace was built
for Queen Padmini whose beauty was responsible
for the battle between Allauddin Khilji and
Rana Ratan Singh. |
| Rana
Kumbha's Palace : The ruined edifice
of great historical and architectural interest,
bring the most massive monument in the fort
of Chittaur. The palace is believed to have
underground cellars where Rani Padmini and
other women committed 'Jauhar'. |
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
