Also
called Chittaur, Chittorgarh, from the 7th century to the 16th, was
the capital of Mewar under the Rajputs. Chittaur evokes memories of
great heroism and sacrifice by Rajput men and women in the
intermittent battles that they had to fight against invaders from
Northwest or Delhi. Chittaur witnessed both the ravages of war and
the triumphs of the spirit.
Chittor is on the main bus
and rail routes. By Road, it's 182km from Ajmer, 158km from Bundi
and 112km from Udaipur. There are frequent connections to these
places. All the Kota buses go via Bundi (a slow 4 1/2 hour
trip).It's possible to take an early bus from Udaipur to Chittorgarh
( three hours), spend about three hours visiting the fort, and then catch a late
afternoon bus to Ajmer, but this is definitely pushing it.
Chittorgarh has rail links with Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur,
Kota and Delhi
Allaudin Khilji who coveted Queen
Padmini of Chittaur, invaded the city in 1303 A.D. Queen Padmini and
the women of the court sacrificed themselves in a pyre of fire
rather than submit to anybody. This supreme sacrifice has been
called 'Jauhar' and epitomises the fiery spirit of the Rajputs of
the day. The city stands strewn with monuments and battlements as
evidence of the blood and gore that it went through in medieval
times.
Chittorgarh (Chittaurgarh) is the epitome of
Rajput pride, romance and spirit. It reverberates with history of
heroism and sacrifice, which is evident as it echoes with the tales
sung by the Bards of Rajasthan. The main reason for visiting
Chittorgarh is its massive hilltop fort, which is a depiction of
Rajput culture and values. The fort of Chittor is regarded as one of
the most outstanding forts of the country and is indeed the "Pride
of Rajasthan State". The formidable fort is perched atop a 180
meter high hillock covering a massive area of 700 acres and is a
standing sentinel to the courage and valour of Chittorgarh. It is
belived that the fort was build by the Mauryans in 7th century and
further strucres were added to it by the successive Mewar rulers.
Chittorgarh fort is also called as Water Fort. The
fort had 84 water bodies, out of which only about 22 exist today.
These Include talabs (ponds), kunds (wells), and baories
(stepwells). All the talabs have a natural catchment. The kunds and
baories are located below the talabs, so that even the seepage from
the latter is not lost. The fort spreads over 700 hectares, 40 per
cent of which are given over to water bodies. The average reservoir
depth is about 2 m. Taken together, this means these reservoirs can
store about 4 billion litres of water.
According to
excavations, a civilization flourished here from the Maurya to the
Guptas dynasty. If any one fort of in Rajasthan were to be picked
out for its illustrious antiquity, tales of bravado and gallantry,
then it would be the fort of Chittogarh. Nowhere else is the valor
of Rajputs more palpable. Myraid tales of its legendary heroes are
still celebrated on the murals and in the folklore of this region .
Equally well known were the Maharanis of Chittorgarh. It's first
defeat occurred in 1303 when Ala-Ud-Din-Khilji, attacked the fort in
order to impound the beautiful Padmini. When defeat became
inevitable, Padmini and the other royal women committed 'Jauhar'.
'Death before dishonor' was accepted as a fact of life by the
valiant Rajputs.
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