Forts in Rajasthan

Rajasthan, which means the place of Kings or Rajas. Rajasthan was divided into many parts or regions. Those were ruled by the respective rulers in the area.

You must have heard about great worriers like Maharana Pratap, Amar Singh Rathore and many others.

While the history of Rajasthan holds most important battles fought in it. One of which is battle of Haldi ghati.

So let’s take a tour at some of the best and beautiful forts in Rajasthan.

List of forts in Rajasthan

1. Chittorgarh fort
2. Bundi fort
3. Mehrangarh fort
4. Amer fort
5. Kumbhalgarh fort

1. Chittorgarh fort

Chittorgarh fort also called as Chittor fort, is the largest fort in India. This fort used to be the capital of Mewar till 16th century.

You must have certainly heard about the Jauhar of the Queen Padmavati. Who jumped in the pire of fire while the fort was invaded by the Mughal emperor Allaudin Khilji.

In Rajput tradition of Rajputs, it was considered a better option to submit oneself to the fire, rather than submit to the invaders. That’s why The beautiful queen chose to submit herself to fire than to surrender.

Chittorgarh fort is built on a 180m high hill and spread in an area of 700 acres. Inside the fort, there is temple of the saint Meerabai.

If you don’t know about who was Meerabai let’s get to know her. Meerabai was the great saint who devoted her life to Lord Krishna. She was born in the Royal family of Merta(Nagaur).

Meerabai was married to the the prince Bhojraj of Chittor. And due to her devotion to lord Krishna, there was a temple built in the Chittor fort after Meerabai.

The reason you should visit this fort is it’s relevance to the history of Rajasthan. Together with that, the beauty of this hill fort is unmatched.

The another beautiful thing about Chittor fort is the water bodies situated inside the fort. There are around more than 20 water bodies inside the fort. Which makes the Fort Worth watching.

It is said that there are many water bodies inside the fort, which includes the ponds, Kunds and bavri. Which can store enough rain water for next few years.

There is one beautiful tower built inside the fort by Maharana Kumbha. Which is just another mesmerising thing about this fort.

This tower was named “Vijay Stambh”, and built by Maharana Kumbha when he won the battle against Allaudin Khilji.

Another beautiful places inside the fort are Rana Kumbha palace, Rani Padmini palace, seven pols of the fort, Jain temples inside the fort and the museum built inside the temple.

So guys do visit this one and give it one whole day to devour the beauty of this fort.

Taragarh fort (Bundi)

The Taragarh fort of Bundi was built by the ruler Dev Singh in 1342AD. The fort is called Taragarh fort because of its star like shape.

Taragarh fort of Bundi is also called as Bundi fort. The fort is know for its mysterious and legendary appearance. This fort is situated in the Nagpahari hill in Bundi city.

There are three gates or entrances to the fort. Which are Lakshmi pol, Phuta door and Gaugudi gate.

Although there were many tunnels built inside the fort, which were built for emergency purposes. But due to the lack of the updated maps, these tunnels are blocked now a days.

On the other hand, when you visit the fort, there are many palaces inside the fort complex. Which are ready to make your visit worth it.

When you are on the way to Kota, then the fort is clearly visible from the road. And I remember the fort well because of one story which my cousin told me while we were on our way to Kota.

As we were in Volvo and passing near to Bundi fort. I told him that the fort is fascinating but together with that it has something mysterious. Then he told some horror story which was enough for me to not to forget the fort in my lifetime.

So when you visit the fort, the steep climb to the fort might make your visit fun or adventure or painful depending on how you take it. For me it really has been fun because of the beautiful view of the city it provides from the fort.

The fort contains three big water tanks, which are used to collect and harvest rain water in the fort. This is one of the forts in Rajasthan which is not built with the Mughal architecture and art.

3. Mehrangarh fort

This is the first place you should be exploring in your next visit to Jodhpur. It is one of the most magnificent forts of Rajasthan. This fort was built by Rao Jodha in year 1459. This fort is built on a cliff of 125m high and is spread in 5kms area.

The fort stands apart from rest of the city because Jodhpur city is situated in plains. So a beautiful panoramic view of Jodhpur city is visible from this fort. 

As you enter the fort, the musicians are sitting playing traditional folk songs. Which is really enticing for the tourists entering the fort. 

There are two temples, one museum and various palaces inside the fort. The temples are Chamunda Mata temple and Nagnenchiji temple. 

The museum portrays the Rich history of Jodhpur and its Rathore rulers. If you want to understand a place better, go and explore its museums. 

While the palaces are Sheesh mehal, Phool mehal, Moti Mehal and Zenana Mehal. Which were used for different purposes as suggested by the names.

4. Amer Fort

Amer fort is one of the major attractions in Jaipur. It is not too far from the main city and can be easily reached via a bus, cab or personal vehicle.

Amer fort, situated in the outskirts of Jaipur city, is one of the most beautiful forts in Rajasthan . The fort is built upon an cliff, and the Maota lake adjacent to the fort adds much more to the beauty of the fort.

For your information, it is one of the largest forts in Rajasthan and in India as well. Because there are many sections, garden and temples inside the garden. So it easily takes 3 to 4 hours to devour the beauty of this palace. So be prepared for that. 

While you are visiting Amer fort, you can enjoy exploring the fort, the gardens, temples and other places of attractions inside it. On the other side there are Elephant rides outside and inside the fort.

5. Kumbhalgarh fort

This must be certainly the most beautiful forts in Rajasthan. It has got many reasons to be a unique. 

First is that it is the birthplace of Mewar’s legendary king Maharana Pratap. The wall built around the fort is second largest in the world spanning a length of 36kms, which comes after the great wall of china. 

A large range of Aravali hills is visible from the fort. The view from the top will just dazzle you. The fort offers a superb bird’s eye view of the surroundings.

There are seven huge gates called pols, guarding all possible entries to the fort. We can enter the fort through Aaret pol, Hanuman pol or Ram pol. And then there are Badal Mehal, Kumbha mehal etc. 

Badal Mahal is the most attractive building of this fort. Which is on the topmost part of the fort. Along the path to badal mehal, we can visit a small canon museum. 

So we were in the fort for 3-4 hours, but i believe even one whole day is less to savour its beauty. 

Thanks for reading.