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miles long
and 495 feet high and also for Vijaystambha and Kirtistambha
(Tower of Victory). Mirabai, 16th century poet and Rani
Padmini belongs to Chittorgarh. Rajasthani, Hindi and English
are the languages which are spoken in Chittorgarh.
History of Chittorgarh
Chittaur is more than a ruined citadel; it is a symbol. It
stands for all that was brave, true and noble in the Rajput
tradition. Chittaur was sacked three times, and on each
occasion the rite of Jauhar was performed. The first was in
1303 when Allauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi coveted the
famous Rajput beauty Rani Padmini whose face he had seen
reflecting on a mirror. Padmini led the Jauhar rather than
submit to dishonour. The second was in 1533 when the Sultan of
Gujarat attacked Bikramjeet of Chittaur. Rani Karnavati, a
Bundi Princess, take the jauhar in which many women and
children perished. Her own infant son, Udai Singh, was
smuggled out of Bundi to preserve the line. Udai Singh
returned as a child to Chittaur and he lived to inherit the
throne of Chittaur. But his traumatic childhood had taught him
that discretion was certainly to be preferred to valour, so
when in 1567, Mughal Emperor Akbar beseiged Chittaur, Udai
Singh escaped leaving its defence to two sixteen year old
heroes, Jaimal of Bednore and Patta of Kelwa. They died in
true Rajput tradition after the jauhar had been proclaimed and
Akbar, taking no chances, razed the Fort to rubble. Chittaur
was never inhabited again but it always asserted the heroic
spirit of Rajput warriors. Udai Singh built his new capital in
Udaipur.
It is believed that Bhim, the legendary figure of the
Mahabharta, visited this place to learn the secrets of
immortality and became the disciple of a saint, but his
impatience to perform all the rites deprived him of his goal,
and out of sheer anger he stamped on ground creating water
reservoir, this reservoir is now known as Bhim Lat. It is also
believed that Bappa Rawal the legendary founder of the Sisodia
clan, received Chittaur in the middle of 8th century, as a
part of the dowry after marriage with the last Solanki
princess. After that his descendants ruled Mewar which
stretched from Gujarat to Ajmer, upto the 16th century.
Tourist Attractions in Chittorgarh
The main tourist attraction in Chittorgarh is the
Chittorgarh Fort. The
Chittorgarh Fort is the indomitable pride of Chittor. The fort
is massive structure with many gateways built in 7th century
AD and perched on a height of 180 m hill and sprawls over 700
acres. The other places which can be visited in Chittorgarh
are Tower of Victory, Kumbha Shyam Temple, Fateh Prakesh
Palace Museum, Rana Kumbha Palace, Padmini Palace, Meera
Temple, Kalika Mata Temple, Jaimal and Patta Palace.
How to reach Chittorgarh
By Air:
Udaipur which is about 112 km is the nearest airport.
By Rail:
By train, Chittorgarh is connected to Ajmer, Jaipur, Alwar,
Delhi, Bundi, Kota, Udaipur, Ahmedabad and various other
cities.
By Road:
Bus services operate between Chittorgarh and several other
destinations in India and Rajasthan. |
