Chittorgrah

Chittorgarh is a city in Rajasthan known for its honey-coloured Chittorgarh Fort, declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site and has many temples and palaces inside the vicinity.

It is a great place for historians with keen interests in Indian wars as the fort complex had witnessed many tragic events by royal forces making the ancient city of Chittorgarh to crumble down and is the symbol of Rajput chivalry. The fort is situated 175 kilometer to the east of Udaipur and is believed to be named after the person who built it, Chitrangada Mori. The fort, when viewed from above, looks roughly like a fish.

The fort is known for its seven gates named after Lord Ram provides maximum security from the potential threat of enemies. The Chittorgarh fort houses many palaces, like the Rana Kumbha Palace, the Fateh Prakash Palace, the Tower of Victory and Rani Padmini’s Palace significant for their Rajput architectural features. There are also many temples within the fort. A huge complex of Jain temples are a major attraction.

Vijay Stambha was built by Rana Kumbha in 1448 to celebrate his victory over Mahmud Shah I Khalji. The tower is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The slabs in the uppermost part of the tower contain a detailed genealogy of the rulers of Chittor and their deeds. The remarkable religious pluralism and tolerance practised by the Rajputs is clearly visible in the victory tower. The Jain Goddess Padmavati sits at the topmost storey, while the third storey and the eighth storey have the word Allah carved in Arabic.