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| Home » Palace on Wheels - Chittaurgarh |
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| Palace on Wheels - Chittaurgarh |
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Chittaurgarh is a short but one of the most memorable stops on the Palace on Wheels tour. The story of Chittaurgarh is a saga of valor, tenacity and sacrifice. Chittaurgarh was sacked three times and its defenders had to make the supreme sacrifice. The Fort of Chittaurgarh is a treasure trove of history and offers to the traveler an insight into the life of the Great Rajput rulers, who laid down their lives fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission under them.
Chittaurgarh 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. The climate of Chittaurgarh is arid. Summers are quite hot (April-June) and winters are cool (October-February). It experiences scant rainfall between June and August.
The main tourist attraction of the town of Chittaurgarh is its fort, which is located on a steep hill beside the modern township. A zigzag ascent of about 1 km through seven gates leads the tourist to its main western gate or Rampol. On the way, one can see two chhatris or memorials of Jaimal and Kalla marking the spots where they fell while defending the fort during the siege of 1568. The main gate on the eastern side of the fort is known as the Surajpol. Though most of the monuments in the fort are in ruins, yet they reflect the glory of its great rulers.
Rana Kumbha Palace is an important spot and it is believed that Queen Padmini had performed jauhar in one of its cellars.
The Archeological Museum, the Singa Chowri Temple, and the Fateh Prakash Palace and Museum are some places to visit, adjacent to Rana Kumbha Palace.
The Victory Tower or Vijay Stambh is one of the main tourist attractions of the fort. It was built by Rana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over Mahmud Khilji, the ruler of Malwa in 1440. This 37-m, 9-storied tower has a number of balconies at each story, from where the tourist can look at the monuments within the fort. The Sammidheshwara Temple is near this tower. Gaumukh reservoir and the Palace of Queen Padmini are important spots to the south of the Rana Kumbha Palace. According to legend, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, was allowed to see the reflection of Queen Padmini in a mirror while she stood behind a pavilion in this palace. Ala-ud-din was so smitten by her beauty that he invaded and sacked Chittaurgarh to possess her. The Tower of Fame or Kirti Stambh is another important monument. This 22-m-high tower, with carvings of Jain deities, was built in 12th century and is dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara (spiritual leader).
Other spots worth visiting are the Bhimtal Tank, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Meera Temple, Kumbha Shyam Temple, and the 8th-century Kalika Mata Temple.
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