Chittorgarh Fort, Chittorgarh

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in Asia.

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in Asia; it is perched at the top of hill at a height of 180 meter and covers an area of 280 hectare. The Fort of Chittorgarh is said to be the capital during the rule of Sisodia kings who reined Mewar from the 8th to 16th century AD. The fort tells various stories of gory and glory and bravery and sacrifices of the Rajput kings. It is named after Chittrangadh Mauraya. The main brave part of the fort is that it survived three invasions.

Invasion by the Muslim rulers:One of the supreme examples of Rajput architecture, Chittorgarh Fort was attacked by Ala-ud-din of Delhi in 1303. It is said that he wanted to possess the beautiful queen Padmini, the wife of Rana Ratan Singh. He won the battle couldn’t get her as Queen Padmini committed jauhar (self-immolation) with other women folks of her palace.

Sultan Bahadur Shah attacked Chittorgarh Fort in 1535 AD. Though Rajputs fought bravely yet they had to lose the battle. In 1567 AD, the Mughal Emperor Akbar invaded Chittorgarh and again jauhar was performed.

Legends behind Chittorgarh Fort: Sultan Ala-ud-din heard a lot about beauty of Queen Padmini. He asked Raja Ratan Singh to show a glimpse of the queen, but the maharajas showed him only a reflection of her beauty on water. Ala-ud-din attacked Chittorgarh to get Queen Padmini.

The Polls and Monuments: The zigzag paths towards the fort of Chittorgarh are broken up by seven huge gateways or pols namely-- Bhairon Pol, Padan Pol, Jorla Pol, Ganesh Pol, Ram Pol and Lakshman Pol. The main attractions of the fort are the towers—Kirti Stambh and Vijay Stambh. The other attractions of the fort are several reservoirs, temples, palaces. Jain temples are located inside the fort.

How to reach Chittorgarh Fort: Ajmer, Udaipur, Kota and Delhi are linked to Chittorgarh by railways. One can also take a bus at Ajmer, Kota, Bundi and Udaipur to Chittorgarh.