Rajasthan Blog

Kumbhalgarh - The Fort in Rajasthan

Perched on 3568 feet lofty precipitous hill of the Arwallis, the fort of Kumbhalgarh shows its majestic form to the curious visitor from a distance of almost 8 miles or more. Surrounded by the lofty ranges with their summits sparkling in the sun and encircled by the dense fort on its chaotic masses of rocks, Kumbhalgarh is situated at a strategically important place on Mewar – Gujrat border over looking the plains below.

The hill on which this fort Kumbhalgarh stands is one of the highest in the range.  Its solid fortification, soaring height, intricacy of approach and rich growth of forest all around have added to the defences of the fort. Kumbhalgarh is situated 60 miles north of the famous city of lakes Udaipur.  The construction dates back to 1443 AD.

Architecture and Monuments

There are entry gates to the fort named as Aretpol, Hanumanpol, Vijaypol which are part of the first portion of the fort, the second portion fort gates are Bhaironpol, Nimboopol, Chauganpol, Pagarapol and the Ganeshpol. Entering the last gate, the visitors confront with the new palaces built on the ruins of the older palaces. There are numerous temples of varied design and forms inside the fort which definitely marks the breadth of the fort’s area.

Outside the fortess is a fine temple consisting of a square sanctuary with a vaulted dome and a colonade of elegant pillars all around. Narachhali reservoir, Topkhana, Nova choki are other places here which attract eyes. The Mamadeo temple was build by King Kumbha and the history of Mewar is inscribed on the black marble structure.

Maharan Kumbha was a great builder and a lover of art. He has built a large kund (reservoir) inside the fort. One day when he was praying on the edge of it, he was killed by his son Udaikaran. This fort is associated with extraordinary events of history. Its said that there are almost 70 forts in and around the fort . The fort which has been a silent witness to rise and fall of many kingdoms now stands desolate. Though tourists visit the place in numbers because of its historic importance and beautiful architectural designs.

The fort cant be described in words. The Fort and its walls stood so many wars that a visit to such a famous fort becomes must when a tourist visits Rajasthan. Kumbhalgarh with its known history and popular temple architecture is been described in as shortest account as possible. There is another in line to the forts which I will post tommorrow. So stay tuned as our series will be a thrilling experience of travel thorugh the walls and barriers of Rajputana dynasty.