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Explore Chittorgarh
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Chittorgarh is 115kms northeast of Udaipur, Chittorgarh is a story of saga of valor, tenacity and sacrifice. Chittorgarh was sacked three times and its defenders had to make the supreme sacrifice. The Fort of Chittorgarh is a treasure trove of history and offers to the traveler an insight into the life of the Great Rajput rulers, who laid down their lives fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission under them. |
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Facts and Figures |
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History |
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The history of Chittorgarh town is written in blood and sacrifice. Muslim
rulers sacked it three times in the medieval period. The first was by Ala-ud-din
Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in 1303. Khilji laid siege of this hill fort to
capture the beautiful Padmini, the queen of Chittorgarh. When the situation
worsened, Bhim Singh, the ruler of Chittorgarh, led his men donned with
saffron robes of sacrifice, and rode out of the fort to certain death.
Inside the fort, women, including Padmini and the children, committed mass
suicide or jauhar by immolating themselves on a huge pyre, rather than
losing their honor at the hands of the enemy. In the middle of the 15th
century, Chittorgarh gained eminence when the legendary Rajput ruler, Rana
Kumbha, ruled it. He built the Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) to commemorate
his victory over Mahmud Khilji, the ruler of Malwa, in 1440. Chittorgarh was
sacked again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat. The jauhar that
followed the siege saw the death of 13,000 women and 32,000 Rajput soldiers.
The third and final siege took place in 1568 at the hands of the great
Mughal emperor Akbar. Jaimal and Kalla, two Rajput generals, valiantly
defended the fort but with their death and deteriorating situation, jauhar
was performed. However, Maharana Udai Singh II, the ruler of Chittorgarh,
fled to Udaipur and re-established his rule. The Mughal emperor Jahangir
returned Chittorgarh to its rulers in 1616. |
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How to Reach Chittorgarh |
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Air : Chittorgarh does not have an airport of its own. Road : The main bus stand is also on the western banks of Gambheri River. There is good bus service for Ajmer, Bundi, Kota and Udaipur from Chittorgarh.
Rail : Chittorgarh railway station is located on the western banks of
Gambheri River. It has rail links with Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur,
Kota and Delhi. |
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The best time to visit Chittorgarh is in winters. |
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