CHITTORGARH FORT

Built on the summit of an immense plateau, Chittorgarh is one of the country's greatest fortresses. 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 over 20,000 soldiers and civilians dead. Maharana Udai Singh took refuge in Udaipur. The austere wall dominates the city, forming a 5 km-long enclosure enclosing the 600 m wide plateau. You'll need a full day to explore the fort in its entirety, with its countless temples, palaces, ruins and towers. Two to three hours are enough to appreciate its must-see monuments. The monuments are quite far apart, and a motorized vehicle is essential. Unless you consider a visit to the fort as a day's hike. Visitors have reported the presence of marauders who behave inappropriately, particularly towards women. Without compromising your safety, they can make a visit very difficult. We did not observe any such behavior during our last visit. If you do, don't hesitate to 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-strong garrison charged with defending the fort. Still inhabited, it's a pleasant place to stroll around.

Rana Khumba Palace: on the right after Ram Pol, the penultimate gate marking the entrance to the fort. An impressive group of well-restored ^15th-century ruins. The palace bears the name of the Rajput ruler who enlarged the existing palace. Here you'll find a small temple dedicated to Shiva, unfortunately closed by a wire gate. A pleasant place to wander among the cows and monkeys.

Sringar Chowri Temple: a Jain temple built by the treasurer of Rana Kumbha in 1448. It is adorned 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 a.m. to 5 p.m. (admission Rs. 10). It is not possible to climb the Tower of Victory (Jaya Stambha) or the Tower of Renown (Kirti Shamba).

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

victory Tower (Jaya Stambha): built by Rana Kumbha to celebrate his victory over the Sultan of Malwa in 1440, it took 10 years to complete and is now the symbol of Chittorgarh. 37 meters high, it has 9 storeys (157 steps) and a dark, narrow staircase. From the top, the view of the fort, the city and the plain is incomparable. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to climb it since 2020.

mahasati: at the foot of the tower is the place where widows are immolated, marked by large flat stones. It was customary for a good wife to throw herself into the cremation pyre of her deceased husband. This practice, known as sati, was outlawed by Queen Victoria in 1861. Nevertheless, the custom persisted (on a small scale). In 1988, the Indian Parliament passed a law penalizing any form of assistance in this type of suicide, following the sati of an 18-year-old widow. 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: situated below the Mahasati, in the middle of a small garden, this ^6th-century temple was restored in 1427. Don't miss the three-headed statue of Shiva.

Gaumukh reservoir: located behind the Sammidheshwar temple, it is fed by a spring whose water emerges from the muzzle(gaumukh) of a cow carved into the rock.

kalimata temple: to the south of the fortress stands this ^8th-century temple. Originally dedicated to the sun god, it was converted to the worship of the goddess Kali in the ^14th century. Many pilgrims come here for the Navratri festival.

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

Suraj Pol: this gateway lies to the east of the fortress. It was once the main gateway. The view over the immense deserted plain is well worth the detour.

tower of Glory (Kirti Stambha): A little higher than Suraj Pol is the Tower of Glory. Built in the ^12th century by a wealthy Jain merchant, he dedicated it to Adinath, the first tirthankar (one of Jainism's 24 revered teachers). Smaller than the Victory Tower, it has 7 storeys. At each corner of the base, a statue represents Adinath. Its ascent has been forbidden since 2015.