Chittorgarh Fort, Chittorgarh
Entry: Paid
Not Allowed: Pets
Timings - Opening & Closing: Monday - Friday: 8.00 AM - 6.00 PM , Saturday: 8.00 AM - 6.00 PM , Sunday: 8.00 AM - 6.00 PM , Public Holidays: 8.00 AM - 6.00 PM
Good for :History Buffs Photo Fanatics Experience Seekers
Visit Duration: 2 hours
About Chittorgarh Fort
Visit the largest fort in Asia for an interesting soiree into Rajasthan's historic times.
In Chittorgarh, the Chittorgarh Fort is the imposing structure atop a hill of 300 m which has many palaces and monuments. This fort is situated 1 km from the new town and is spread over an area of around 692 acres.
Inside the large fort, is a road that connects the different gates, viz. the main gate or Ram Pol, Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Laxman Pol and Jodla Pol.
These gates were built for security and fortification of the area. There are around 84 water bodies and many small palaces, important ones being Rana Kumbha Palace, Rani Padmini’s Palace, etc.
Besides these structures, the fort is known for the Kirti Stambha, in honour of the 1st Jain Thirthankara, the victory tower or Vijay Stambha, Meera temple, Kalika Mata temple and the various sculptures and carvings on the monuments.
Chittorgarh (Chittaurgarh) is the epitome of Rajput pride, romance and spirit. It reverberates with history of heroism and sacrifice, which is evident as it echoes with the tales sung by the Bards of Rajasthan. The main reason for visiting Chittorgarh is its massive hilltop fort, which is a depiction of Rajput culture and values.
The fort of Chittor is regarded as one of the most outstanding forts of the country and is indeed the "Pride of Rajasthan State". The formidable fort is perched atop a 180 meter high hillock covering a massive area of 700 acres and is a standing sentinel to the courage and valour of Chittorgarh. It is belived that the fort was build by the Mauryans in 7th century and further strucres were added to it by the successive Mewar rulers.
The one mile long serpentine road to the fort is quite steep and exhastive. The fort is approached through seven huge gateways or ´pols´, which are guarded by watch tower and massive iron spiked doors.
Water Fort :
Chittorgarh fort is also called as Water Fort. The fort had 84 water bodies, out of which only about 22 exist today. These Include talabs (ponds), kunds (wells), and baories (stepwells). All the talabs have a natural catchment. The kunds and baories are located below the talabs, so that even the seepage from the latter is not lost.
The fort spreads over 700 hectares, 40 per cent of which are given over to water bodies. The average reservoir depth is about 2 m. Taken together, this means these reservoirs can store about 4 billion litres of water.
In a year of more than normal rainfall (average annual rainfall: 700 mm), enough water would be stored to last the next 12 months. Even after water loss due to seepage and evaporation and other causes, an army of 50,000 could live in the fort for four years without fear of thirst.
| Location: | At a distance of 112km from Udaipur, on a high hill near the Gambheri River in Chittaurgarh, Rajasthan |
| Built by: | Various Maurya rulers |
| Built in: | 7th century A.D |
| Highlights: | Numerous palaces and towers inside the fort |
| How to reach: | One can easily reach Chittorgarh Fort either by taking regular buses or by hiring Taxis from Udaipur city |