Chittorgarh fort, one of the largest fortsinf India, is also enrolled in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Owned by the Archaeological Department of India, this fort has withstood 27 battles out of which, enemies in 24 battles couldn’t enter the fort. However, later on the Chittorgarh fort was destroyed and today some part of it still remains in the ruins. We decided to go to this fort on a day trip from Udaipur. The three battles which Chittorgarh fort didn’t win were:
- 1567 AD – Akbar defeated Maharana Udai Singh II
- 1535 AD – Bahadur Shah defeated Bikramjeet Singh
- 1303 AD – Allaudin Khilji defeated Rana Ratan Singh.
It took us around 2 hours to reach the fort. The entire fort is approx 13 km long, out of which only 5-6 km is accessible to the public. Entry is prohibited in the rest of the areas. This fort was the capital of Mewar and was constructed in the 7th century by the Rajput community of Mewar. It is one of the most important forts in the history of India.
There are a total of 7 gates inside the fort, which lies one after the another. Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol and Ram Pol. Pol refers to gate in Hindi. In the earlier times, the enemies had to conquer all these gates before they could enter the fort. This is the reason why the enemies usually found it hard to enter even after winning the battles. But today, travelers can easily cross all these gates without any hassle. Although, it includes lot of walking, there is no steep slopes, just flat land once you enter in the fort premises. Also, you can take the vehicles till the top which saves time & energy to explore rest of the fort on foot.
BASIC INFO ON CHITTORGARH FORT:
Time taken to explore the fort: It takes around 2-3 hours to cover the entire fort on foot.
Built in: 7th century.
Time taken to reach: 2-3 hours
Timings of the fort: 9 AM – 6 PM
Entrance fees: Rs. 10/- (parking is extra)
PLACES TO SEE INSIDE THE FORT:
- Vijay Stambh or the pole of Victory.
- Kirti Stambh or the tower of fame.
- Rana Kumbha Palace.
- Kalika Mata Temple or Sun Temple.
- Samadhiswara Temple or Shiva Temple.
- Meera temple.
- Gomukh Water Resorvoir.
- Padmini Palace.
- Government museum.
POINTS TO NOTE BEFORE VISITING CHITTORGARH FORT:
- Start in the afternoon, in order to beat the heat & also to spend plenty of time on the fort. Sunset from this fort is mesmerizing.
- It takes 2 hours to reach the fort from Udaipur city by your own vehicle. There are several buses which ply regularly between Udaipur & chittorgarh.
- One can hire auto rickshaws from the base of the fort.
- Although, there are several stalls inside the fort, I won’t recommend you to buy anything from them as the prices are very high.
- Be ready to walk a lot & dress accordingly.
Also, check out the post on Kumbhalgarh fort, having second largest wall after the great wall of China.
Pin it 😉
