Chittaurgarh- Where Bravery Is In The Air!

Chittorgarh Fort

The history of Chittaurgarh is the history of romance and bravery. For romancing the glorious past of this land I reached there in the early hours of the morning. I had heard several stories about this fascinating land of Rajasthan, which were really interesting. Located on the River Berach, Chittaurgarh still reverberates with the stories of heroism and bravery, which majestically echoes in its fort and its attractions.

Our first halt was Chittorgarh fort, which is a symbol of Rajput pride. My guide Shankar told me about the indomitable spirit of the people of this land. He said “the people here posses such an indomitable spirit that they prefer death over surrender”. As I reached the fort, I was greeted with a wonderful sight of the fort that stands tall on a high plateau. Sprawling over an area of 700 acres of land, the fort was built during the rein of Maurya dynasty in the 7th century.

We entered the fort from the Ram Pol, which is the main gate. Shankar told me that the fort has a few more gates. As we were walking around the fort, Shankar told me that the fort was fiercely attacked three times and each time the Rajput rulers fought with all their might to save it. They took immense pride in surrendering to death rather than to their enemies. The ladies and children committed Jauhar (refer to the voluntary deaths of men and women of the Rajput clan in order to avoid capture and dishonor at the hands of their enemies) and the royal ladies, Rani Padmini and Rani Karnavati were the first ones to commit Jauhar.

Then we came across two Chhatris(memorials) built in honor of the Rajput heros, Jaimal and Kalla, temples, reservoirs and palaces. All these structures were built during the period between the 9th to 17th centuries. The ruins of the these structures still retain that old-world charm. We also went to the deer park, which is located in the southern portion of the fort. Over all the trip to this fort was amazing.

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