Tourist Attractions & Monuments Rajasthan

Built on top of a huge plateau, Chittorgarh is one of the largest fortresses in Rajasthan. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, it was the capital of Mewar between the ^7th century and 1568. The Mughal emperor Akbar finally brought down the fort after a 4-month siege and a final battle that left more than 20,000 military and civilian dead. The maharana Udai Singh took refuge in Udaipur. The austere wall dominates the city and forms a 5 km long enclosure enclosing the 600 meters wide plateau. It takes a whole day to discover the fort in its entirety, its countless temples, palaces, ruins and towers. Two to three hours are enough to appreciate its essential monuments. The monuments are quite far from each other and a motorized vehicle is essential to cover the distances. Unless you consider visiting the fort as a day hike. Visitors have reported the presence of marauders who behave inappropriately, especially with women. While not a threat to your safety, they can make the visit difficult. We did not see any such behavior during our last visit. If it does happen, please report any questionable behavior to the police and let the intruder know.

Outside the fort, the village at the top of the rise was home to the 20,000-man garrison charged with defending the fort. Still inhabited, it is a pleasant place to walk around.

Palace of Rana Khumba: on the right after Ram Pol, the penultimate gate marking the entrance of the fort. Impressive set of ruins of the ^15th century very well restored. The palace bears the name of the Rajput ruler who enlarged the existing palace. You will see a small temple dedicated to Shiva and unfortunately closed by a wire gate. It is pleasant to walk there in the middle of cows and monkeys.

Sringar Chowri Temple : Jain temple which was built by the treasurer of Rana Kumbha in 1448. It is decorated with delicate sculptures of elephants, musicians and gods.

fateh Prakash Palace: built under the governance of Fateh Sing, Maharana of Mewar from 1884 to 1930. It houses a modest museum open from 9:30 am to 5 pm (entrance fee: 10 Rs).

It is possible to go up to the tower of Victory, or Jaya Stambha, as well as to the tower of Fame, also called Kirti Shamba.

the temples of Meera and Kumbha Shyam: these two temples were built by Rana Kumbha in the ^15th century. Of Indo-Aryan style, they are easily spotted by their sikharas, or oblong roof located just above the main sanctuary. The Meera temple is associated with the mystic poetess Mirabai who devoted her life to Krishna by composing odes known as Meera Bhajans. She entered into mystic legend for surviving the poisoning orchestrated by her brother-in-law.

victory Tower: also called Jaya Stambah, it was built by Rana Kumbha to celebrate his victory over the Sultan of Malwa in 1440. It took 10 years to build and is today the symbol of Chittorgarh. 37 meters high, it is possible to climb its 9 floors, that is 157 steps, by a dark and narrow staircase. The claustrophobic ones will abstain. From the top, the view on the fort, the city and the plain is incomparable.

the Mahasati: at the foot of the tower, is the place of immolation of widows, marked by large flat stones. The custom was for a good wife to throw herself into the cremation pyre of her deceased husband. This practice called sati was outlawed by Queen Victoria in 1861. Nevertheless, the custom continued (on a small scale). The Indian Parliament passed a law in 1988 penalizing any form of assistance to this type of suicide, following the sati of a young widow of 18 years. The last officially recorded sati was in 2008.

The Mahasati was also the site of a jauhar of 13,000 women in 1535. When a fort fell, the women of the city committed suicide, so as not to become booty for the enemy.

sammidheshwar temple : located below the Mahasati, in the middle of a small garden, this ^6th century temple was restored in 1427. Do not miss the statue of Shiva with three heads.

Gaumukh tank : located behind the Sammidheshwar temple, it is fed by a spring whose water comes out of the muzzle(gaumukh) of a cow carved in the rock.

kalimata temple: to the south of the fortress stands this temple dating from the ^8th century. It was originally dedicated to the Sun God and was converted to the worship of the goddess Kali in the ^14th century. Many pilgrims go there on the occasion of the festival of Navratri.

padmini Palace: it was the summer pavilion of the queen Padmini. Legend has it that Sultan Alauddin Khilji saw her reflection in a mirror placed in the palace and found her so beautiful that he vowed to raze Chittorgarh to the ground to possess her.

Suraj Pol: this gate is located at the east of the fortress. It was formerly the main access door. The view on the immense deserted plain is worth the detour.

the Tower of the Glory : A little higher than Suraj Pol is the tower of the Glory. Built in the ^12th century by a rich Jain merchant of the city, he dedicated it to Adinath, the first tirthankar (one of the 24 revered teachers of Jainism). It is smaller than the Victory Tower and has 7 floors. At each of the corners of the base, a statue represents Adinath.

This village exhibits handicrafts in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra in a very pleasant setting. Many dance shows and concerts are organised all year round.

Please contact the Tourist Office.

Dilwara means "the place of temples". Five white marble temples built between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries rise from the surrounding hills to form an outstanding complex. The interiors, though somewhat massive on the outside, rival each other in beauty and grandeur. Not a single corner has been overlooked in the decoration work. The delicacy of the carvings, the chiseled ceilings and pillars, the countless polished marble statues reveal an extraordinary mastery of Indian craftsmen and an unparalleled creative fertility. Considered as the most beautiful examples of Jain temples in India, these temples are the object of an important cult among the members of the sect. Jainism was born out of a split with Hinduism in the 6th century B.C. and while many of the tenets are similar between the two religions, such as the attainment of enlightenment, no one deity occupies a central place. The tirthankars enshrined in the temples are the enlightened Masters, who lead the devotees to follow the path of supreme enlightenment. The temples of Mount Abu are among the five holiest places in Jainism, along with Ranakpur in Rajasthan and Palitana in Gujarat. Pilgrims come here in large numbers throughout the year. Considering their condition, it is hard to believe that only a few renovations have been undertaken over the centuries. After the partial destruction of the Vimal Vasahi in 1311, major repairs were initiated a decade later. It underwent another phase of care in 1906, following which the site was rededicated. Finally, another major maintenance cycle took place from 1950 to 1965. One can see the difference in patina between the old, yellowed marble and the more recent, white one.

Vimal Vasahi. This temple, the oldest, dates from 1031. It was built by Vimalsha, a minister of King Bhima I of Gujarat. It is dedicated to Adinath, the first holy man of Jainism(tirthankar). It is one of the finest examples of Jain architecture. You will be lulled by the spiritual atmosphere of the place. The temple stands in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by about 50 courtyards containing statues of other tirthankars, i.e. a holy man who has attained "enlightenment". The corridors, pillars, porticoes, arches and ceilings are gracefully carved in white marble. The motifs represent lotus flowers, plants, animals and scenes related to Jain mythology. In the main hall, the mandap row, the central dome is supported by 12 pillars beautifully decorated with women playing music and the 16 vidyadevis, the goddesses of knowledge. Do not miss to raise your head to admire the stone rose window. The gudh mandap which contains the idol of Adinath, is all in sobriety. But the door which gives access to it is richly decorated. Opposite the temple is the hatishala, the "house of elephants". Built in 1147 by a descendant of Vimalsha, the row of elephants carries the family lineage on its back.

Luna Vasahi. This temple is dedicated to Nenimath, the 22nd tirthankar and was erected in 1230 by two brothers, both ministers of the king of Gujarat. They built it in memory of their deceased brother Luna. You will be able to admire its so particular architecture, its extremely fine and meticulous sculptures. It took more than 2,000 craftsmen to build this real work of goldsmith. The highlight is the dome of the mandap row, the main hall. seventy-two tirthankars are depicted seated in a circle. The second concentric band represents 360 miniature figures of Jain monks. In the center of the ceiling, a magnificent chiseled stone pendant seems to float. The temple is surrounded by nine cells that compete for grace and lightness. The idol representing Neminath was carved in black marble. The black marble column on the left side of the temple is an addition of Maharana Khumba of Mewar.

Pittalhar Temple. The construction of this temple was undertaken by Bhima Shah, a minister of the Sultan of Ahmedabad, in the 15th century. More modest in size, and comprising only a few cells, it is unfinished. The temple takes its name from the imposing 2.40 meter high alloy statue of Adinath. In Hindi, copper is called pital. An inscription engraved on the statue states that it weighs 4 tons and that it is the work of an artist named Deta. The main shrine or gudh mandap contains an idol of Adinath in white marble.

Temple of Parshvanath. The construction of this temple undertaken by Mandlik dates back to 1458. Dedicated to Parshvanath, the 23rd tirthankar, it is the largest of the Dilwara temples. Four halls facing the cardinal points support the three-story structure. The exterior sculptures, of grey sandstone, are reminiscent of those of the temples of Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh): celestial beings, vidyadevis, yakshinis (fairies), salabhanjikas (woman standing near a tree and holding a branch)...

Temple of Mahavir Swami. This temple is the most recent of the group and dates from 1582. It is dedicated to Mahavira, the 24thand last tirthankar. Having lived from 599 to 527 BC, this saint is considered to have given Jainism its present form. He is particularly venerated for this reason. Paintings added in 1764 by Rajasthani artists can be seen on the upper parts of the entrance porch.

Lake Ana Sagar, founded in the 12th century, offers a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. It was dug by the local population, under the aegis of Arnoraja, Prithviraj Chauhan's grandfather. The baradari, a pavilion with twelve openings, was added by Shah Jahan in 1637. Emperor Jahangir later adorned the baradari with Mughal gardens: Daulat Bagh. The Ajmeri meet there at sunset for a bucolic walk. If you want to go around the lake, know that it is still 13 kilometres in circumference.