| Rajasthan's history lies enshrined in
its forts, several of which dot the arid
landscape. Over the centuries, several forts
were abandoned, some captured, some disabused,
leaving behind a rich history in their wake.
While palaces outside of the forts have
been a more recent phenomenon, ranging across
the 19th and 20th centuries, the forts are
often very old. However, since additions
were constantly made to these dwellings,
they provide a rich architectural legacy
of influences on architecture that begins
with the Hindu-Rajput, shows assimilation
of the Mughal and, later the British, resulting
in a sense of opulence best characterised
by what has come to be referred as Indo-Saracenic
architecture. Provided here are small capsules
of some of the more historic forts of Rajasthan.
This is a small list, and completely overlooks
others such as the forts at Ranthambhor
and Gagron that have had a major role to
play in the history of India because they
are less frequented by visitors. Chittaurgarh
For, Chittor:
Probably India's greatest medieval fort,
and its most chivalrous, it was from here
that the Sisodias went to war against the
Mughals at the famous battle of Haldighati.
Set on a high plateau, Chittaurgarh sprawls
supremely above the surrounding countryside.
First established in the 7th century, Chittaur
became the gaddi for the Sisodia rulers
who proved themselves indomitable fighters.
Its fortifications meander allong the ridges
of the hills, and from these concealed vantage
points, they extended their sway over their
kindom.
Sacked in 1303 through an act of treachery
perpetrated by allauddin Khilji in his attempt
to win over Rani Padmini, Chittaur fell
twice more in the 16th century, first to
the forces of the Sultan of Gujarat, and
later the Mughal Akbar. Abandoned then by
its rulers who continued to wage guerilla
warfare against the Mughals (making valouous
legends out of the names of Rana Sangha
and Rana Pratap), the Sisodias later established
a new capital at Udaipur.
Chittaurgarh's abandonment led to the ruin
of its palaces and apartments, and its durbar
halls. Little has survived the ravages of
the pillaging armies and of time, but there
is enough to provide a glimpse of what must
have been one of Rajputana's greatest citadels.
These include the ruins of Rana Kumbha's
palace as well as what is believed to be
Rani Padmini's palace. Both are in a state
of ruin, and there is little that hints
at architectural splendour, because many
of the subsidiary buildings and much of
the ornamentation no longer exists. Chittaurgarh
also houses the palaces, again in ruins,
of the brave Sisodia warriors, Jaimal and
Patta.
Chittaurgarh is 90 km from Udaipur airport,
which is its entry point from several other
parts of the state. Basic accommodation
is available, and restaurants are rudimentary.
Best visited as an excursion from Udaipur.
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner:
Just over five centuries old, Bikaner
was founded by a scion of the house of Marwar
(Jodhpur). The fort of Bikaner, Junagarh,
however, was buil in 1593 by Raja Rai Singh
who also served as a general in the army
of Emperor Akbar. Made from red sandstone
and encircled by a moat around which the
modern city of Bikaner has spread in a somewhat
erratic fashion, Junagarh consists of several
palaces and apartments in a remarkable state
of preservation. The art of the mason and
sculptor is most obvious in the recreation
of delicate stone screens, kiosks, pavilions
and series of arched entrances to buildings
reached from corridors that have windows
over lookings the city beyond.
Some of the palaces are among the most richly
decorated in Rajasthan, and include Anup
Mahal, Chandra Mahal and Phool Mahal. They
give the impressions of rich inlay of pietra
dura, though in fact the apartments are
merely richly painted. The paintings have
been preserved as good as new because of
the extremely dry heat conditions of the
desert town. Another palace Badal Mahal
recreates paintings of clouds on its walls,
a reminder of the monsoon that often failed
the settlement. The Anup Mahal courtyard
has a throne set in a pool of water, bringing
alive the sensitivity the rulers showed
in their building environment. A formal
set of sandstone staircases, and the wooden
Durbar Hall are additions made early in
this century by Maharaja Ganga Singh.
Bikaner is 334 km from Jaipur, 253 km from
Jodhpur and 456 km from Delhi, all of which
have air-ports. The city is served by convenient
rail and road connections. Accommodation
is available at both palace and heritage
hotels, as well as in some standard, modern
hotels. The choice of restaurants is somew
hat more limited, and most visitors dine
at their hotels.
Kotah Fort, Kota:
Once a part of the kingdom of Bundi,
the principality of Kota was gifted away
to a scion, and has since been known for
its stirring saga of valour and chivalry.
The Fort, a large, sprawling structure,
is best known for its Durbar Hall which
has paintings and mirrorwork, and has doors
of ebony and ivory.
Kota, like Bundi, came to be known for the
very high quality of its wall paintings.
In particular, it has become known for its
hunting scences. Like other kingdoms, the
maharajas abandoned the fort to build themselves
modern palaces. Umed Bhawan is a sprawling,
ungainly structure while the smaller Brijraj
Bhawan overlooks the Chambal river in the
City, below, and the growing industrialisation
that now characterises the town.
Both palaces double as hotels. Connected
by air, Kota is 245 km from Jaipur, and
lies on the Delhi-Mumbai rail link.
Kumbhalgarh Fort, Udaipur:
If Chittaurgarh was the pride of the
Sisodias, Kumbhalgarh is the crown with
which they earned themselves merit. Raised
by Rana Kumbha, this impregnable fortress
perches itself on top of 13mountain peaks
in the Aravallis. Battlements 36 km long
gird its fierce looking bastions overhung
with steep walls from which decorative windows
project. A steep climb up a narrow road
leads to the entrance. It was here that
Prince Uday, smuggled out of Chittaurgarh
by his nursemaid Panna Dai, found refuge,
and it was from here he ruled before going
on to establish the new capital of Udaipur.
Though inhabited briefly, it also afforded
refuge to the Mughal prince, Jehangir, from
his estranged father, Emperor Shah Jehan.
Within the fort, Badal Mahal is particularly
noteworthy for its exquisite interiors and
its soaring height over other structures.
Also found here are ancient Jain temples
dating back to the Mauryan period. Medieval
Hindu temples with fluted pillars, and a
few chhatris or cenotaphs are also memorable.
The buildings at Kumbhalgarh, unlike at
Chittaurgarh, are mostly intact.
Kumbhalgarh is 105 km from Udaipur, from
where it can be reached by a good motorable
road. There is a quaint heritage hotel close
by, but most other facilities are best at
Udaipur.
Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur:
Underrated by most visitors to Bharatpur
who head for its bational park and bird
sanctuary, the fort held by the Jat rulers
of this state has bastions of sand that
were strong enough to absorb the impact
of canonshells that simply exbedded themselves
within it. Impregnable to most attacks,
this 18th century fort was ordered by Maharaja
Suraj Mal, the founder of the dynasty at
Bharatpur.
Lohagarh is located in the heart of the
old city, and its entrance is form a crowded
street that leads through the massive entrance
gate into what is a living fort with several
modern additions. However, the part of the
fort that has been preserved consists of
a sprawling palace complex since it combines
Rajput and Mughal architecture with Jat
influences in building style, a few of the
eight original towers of which Jawahar Burj
and Fateh Burj are of particular interest,
and floors laid with tiles.
Visitors are also recommended a visit to
deeg, 32 km away, the summer retreat of
the Jats, where the palaces take on a languid
quality. Since it was a leisure retreat,
the buildings are set apart with gardens
interspersing in the spaces in between.
One complex, the Monsoon Palace, is fronted
by coloured fountains and used machinery
set into the ceiling that recreated the
sound of thunder- a welcome sound in the
parched desert country.
Bharatpur is 56 km from Agra, 176 km from
Jaipur and 184 km from Delhi. It is well
connected by road, and has a network of
accommodation choices, including within
the sanctuary.
Meharangarh Fort, Jodhpur:
One of the most stunning hill forts
of Rajasthan, Mehrangarh appears to rise
from the bluff-coloured sandstone hill itself,
so well built into the base that it is difficult
to tell where the hill ends and the walls
begin. Founded in the 15th century by the
Rathore Rajputs when they shifted their
capital from nearby Mandore to Jodhpur (or
the region known as Marwar), it is approached
by a series of seven gateways set at an
angle so that armies could not charge them
with any success. Past the gates, the fort-palace
takes one's breath away. Across from huge
courtyards are set wings of palatial apartments
that have been built over five centuries
of bristling history.
Today, managed as a museum by the royal
trust that maintains it, only some of the
more spectacular palaces of Mehrangarh are
open to visitors. These consist of Moti
Mahal with its pierced screen windows overlooking
the coronation seat where the Rathore rulere
have been ritually anointed to rule; Jhanki
Mahal, the apartment from where the zenana
women would watch ceremonial events; Chandan
Mahal, where affairs of state were discussed;
the royal Darbar Takhat or throne room with
its octagonal throne; and the Rang Mahal
where the maharaja would play Holi with
his zenana. Also noteworty are Sheesh Mahal,
Phool Mahal, Umaid Vilas and Maan Vilas,
while a large tent seized from the Mughals
in battle is spread for viewing in what
has come to be referred to as the Tent Room.
Mehrangarh from the outside is impressive,
and certainly forbidding. There is a surprising
lightness to it though, once actually within
the fort. The builders seemed to want to
make up for the stern austerity of its walls
with an overwhelming profusion of windows
and jharokas at the upper ends. The effect
seems to exaggerate its already impressive
height.
On the hill of Mehrangarh is Jaswant Thada,
the white marble cenotaph built to commemorate
the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in
1899. The cenotaphs of the other rulers,
in the same neighbouhood, are relatively
simpler. From the ramparts of Mehrangarh,
one can also see the art-deco Umaid Bhawan
Palace located on top of Chatter Hill. One
of the largest private residences in the
world, it had been designed by Sir Edwin
Lancaster, and is now home to the erstwhile
royal family as well as luxury hotel.
Jodhpur is 336 km from Jaipur and 249 km
from Bikaner, and is connected both by air
and rail. Good quality accommodation and
restaurants are part of the facilities in
this historic town.
Sonar Qila, Jaisalmer:
Life, in the searing heat of the summer
months of the dedieval ages, once flourished
within the 99 bastions of the fort of Jaisalmer.
Rising from sand dunes, resembling from
a distance a giant ant hill. Closer, the
bastions show up more formidable, vast chunks
of honey-coloured stone blocks carved to
dovetail together. Within these bastions
is a complete township that consists of
a palace complex, the havelis of rich Jain
merchants carved with an incredibly light
touch, and Hindu temples.
Jaisalmer was founded in the 12th century
by the Bhatti Rajputs who shifted here from
Lodurva. Placed strategically on the trade
route along which ancient caravans passed,
Jaisalmer soon became rich, so much so that
the merchants, who also served as ministers
in the royal courts, came to command more
power than the rulers themselves. No wonder
the large mansions of the merchants, built
adjacent to each other in the nature of
medieval desert cultures, are so profusely
decorated that the palace, in comparison,
appears to pale.
While the havelis and the palace, along
with the temples, will warrant the mandatory
visits, Jaisalmer is incredible for the
experience it brings alive of a medieval
township caught in a time warp, as you move
up its ancient cobbled streets. For most
part, its incredible sculptors were Muslim
craftsmen who were induced, on their journeys
to the patrons in other parts of India,
to stay. The result is an archi-tectruaj
purity that, because of Jaisalmer's incredible
isolation, is seem elsewhere.
Jaisalmer is located deep in the heart of
the desert, 285 km from Jodhpur. It can
be reached by road and rail from Jodhpur,
and is also connected with Barmer and Bikaner.
In recent years, a number of good hotels
have opened in Jaisalmer, and the township
has developed appropriate tourist ifrastructure
to cater to most requirements.
Taragarh Fort, Bundi
Girded by the Aravalli hills, Bundi's
Taragarh fort and the palace complex at
its base are among the most romantic sights
of Rajasthan. Set within the horse-shoe
shaped fold of the hills, and with lakes
and water reservoirs below, the fort stra-ddles
the crest and offers invincible battlements
that must have proved difficult to scale.
Bundi, ruled by the Hada Chauhans from the
13th century on, was given its fort in the
mid-14 century, hewn out of the sandstone
and basalt rock of the Aravallis here. It
was here, too, that huge water reservoirs
were created, since water was one of the
most important resources when armies laid
siege on a fort. It the Bundi Palace complex,
reached from a ramp, are the several apartments
part of such complexes in princely Rajasthan.
However, Bundi has come to be well known
for the very high quality of its wall paintings,
and these can be seen in Chandra Mahal,
and more particularly at the Chitrashala
or picture gallery established by Rao Raja
Umed Singh in the 18th century. These depict
scences from the life of Krishna, and are
unusual for their blue-green tints.
Bundi is 22 km from Kota town, and 206 km
from Jaipur. Well linked by road, its most
convenient railhead is Kota. Accommodation
too is best at Kota.
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