About Kumbhalgarh
Kumbhalgarh Fort is a Mewar fortress in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan state in western India. It is an World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Built during the course of the 15th century by Rana Kumbha and enlarged through the 19th century, Kumbhalgarh is also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. Occupied until the late 19th century, the fort is now open to the public and is spectacularly lit for a few minutes each evening. Kumbalgarh is situated 82 km northwest of Udaipur by road. It is the most important fort in Mewar after Chittaurgarh.
Kumbhalgarh, a small town in district Rajsamand is known world wide for its great history and architecture. Here lies the great Kumbhalgarh fort which was built during 15th century by Maharana Kumbha. Enlarged during 19th century, this fort is also the birth place of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. This almost invincible fort is the highest and most formidable in the state of Rajasthan. Even the mighty mughal couldn’t capture it alone and it took the combined armies of Delhi, Amber and Marwar to breach its defences. Standing majestically on 1180m high ridge and representing the past glory of the Rajput rulers, the Fort also provides a panoramic view of the countryside from the top. Thirteen mountain peaks of the Aravali range protect this impregnable fortress. Seven huge and imposing gates stand like sentinels at the approaches and seven ramparts, one being folded within another with crenulated walls strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watch towers, make this an impregnable mountain fortress. It's serpentine 15 kilometres long wall is thick and broad enough for eight horses to ride abreast. This wall is second longest only to the 'Great Wall of China'. This grand fort also has 360 temples within the walls.
Altitude
The altitude of Kumbhalgarh varies from 1150m to 1200m from AMSL
About the wall
Kumbhalgarh fort is surrounded by a majestic thick wall which is approximately 15 KMS long. It has seven huge gates and claims to be the second longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. The width of wall varies from 15 to 25 feet. It is mentioned in the various books of history that eight horses could run on this wall side-by-side. This wall runs through surrounding mountain cliffs of the Aravali range. The wall is a great example of architecture brilliance of Rajput Era. Its architectural brilliance is proved by the fact that in spite of being around 700 years old it is still intact and in a very good shape. This wall is not in a regular straight pattern but it runs through mountain cliffs and valleys. It has steep ascend and descend throughout its length the wall has stairs and walk way which is evident from the photographs. The wall runs through the forest area which falls under Kumbhalgarh National Park. This national park is abode of great variety of flora and fauna. It provides shelter to number of endangered species of Indian wild-life. It is famous for panthers and leopards. Other wild life in this national park is Hyena, Toddy cats, Wolf, Chansinga, Neelgai, Sambhars, Crocodiles, Grey Jungle fowl, Peacocks, Wild boars, Beers etc.
History
The Kumbhalgarh was built and ruled by Kumbha and his dynasty who were Sisodia rajputs descendents.
Kumbhalgarh in its present form was developed by, and said to be personally designed by, Rana Kumbha. Rana Kumbha's kingdom of Mewar stretched from Ranthambore to Gwalior and included large tracts of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. Out of the 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have designed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate.
Kumbhalgarh also separated Mewar and Marwar from each other and was used as a place of refuge for the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. A notable instance was in the case of Prince Udai, the infant king of Mewar who was smuggled here in 1535, when Chittaur was under siege. Prince Udai who later succeeded to the throne was also the founder of the Udaipur City. The fort remained impregnable to direct assault, and fell only once, due to a shortage of drinking water, to the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Mewar, and the Sultan of Gujarat.
How To Reach:
By Road
- Ahmedabad to Kumbhalgarh is 335 km
- Delhi to Kumbhalgarh is 625 km
- Jaipur to Kumbhalgarh is 345 km
- Mumbai to Kumbhalgarh is 877 km
- Jodhpur to Kumbhalgarh is 235 km
- Chandigarh to Kumbhalgarh is 981 km
- Surat to Kumbhalgarh is 625 km
- Vadodara to Kumbhalgarh is 445 km
Nearest Railhead
- Udaipur is also the nearest railhead, which is 80 km from Kumbhalgarh. Falna railway station is 80 km from Kumbhalgarh and has good connectivity with Mumbai, New Delhi and Jaipur.
Nearest Airport
- Udaipur airport is the nearest airport, which is 95 km from Kumbhalgarh
Climate
- Summers: 30-40° C
- Mild winters: 10-28° C
Clothing required
- Summers: Light tropical in summer, carry hats and sun-screen lotions
- Winters: Woollens in winter