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| Main Spiritual Guides Page > Main India Page> Rajasthan > Chittorgarh | ||||
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Chittorgarh Pop:
98,000 History In
1535, Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat made a surprise attack on the city
and killed everyone. In 1567, Emperor Akbar besieged the city and over
30,000 people were killed. The women of the city performed jauhar. At
this time, Maharaja Udai Singh moved the capital from Chittorgarh to
Udaipur, where the royal family still lives. The fort was returned to
the Rajputs in 1616, but the royal family stayed in Udaipur. You can change money at the State Bank of India, near the Roadway bus stand, and the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Station Rd. The GPO is on Shri Gurukul Rd, near the Hotel Pratap Palace. General Hospital (%102), Station Rd; and Aditya Hospital (41544), Station Rd, are supposed to be good hospitals. Internet at Sanwariya Computers (248-552) for Rs 50 per hour (open 9 am to 9 pm) Chittorgarh
Fort Fort Admission foreigners/Indians Rs 100/5. Guides charge around Rs 150-200. and it is best to get a guide driving an auto-ricksaw. A good way to fully explore the fort is by renting a biccycle. It is a fairly tough climb up to the fort, but once at the top it is mainly flat. There
are seven pols (gates) beginning on the east side of
town going for one km up to the fort’s entrance. The first is
Padan Pol. Located at the second gate are the chhatris
(monuments) of the heroic Jaimal and Kalla, who both died in battle
when Chittorgarh was attacked in 1567. Rama Pol is the final gate that
leads into the fort. In the Fateh Prakash Palace (built in the 1920s) is the Government Museum, which has a collection of statues and weapons. Open daily except Fri 10 am to 4.30 pm; admission Rs 2, photography prohibited. Near the palace is the artistic Meera Mandir, dedicated to the saintly woman devotee of Lord Krishna, Mira Bai. Also nearby is the lofty Kumbha Shyam Mandir with its deity of Varaha (the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu) in the inner sanctum. Taking
Fort Road south brings you to the sandstone Jaya Stambha
(Tower of Victory), which is considered to be the highlight of the fort.
This outstanding 37m (122 ft), nine-storey sandstone tower is covered
with intricate sculptures. It was begun in 1458 to commemorate a significant
victory in 1440 and was finished ten years later. You can climb to the
top of this tower and from the top, the view is outstanding. Further south on the main road is a large tank called Gaumukh Kund (Cow’s Mouth Tank). It is called this because of the carved cow’s mouth from which the water of the tank comes. Further down the main road is the weathered Padmini’s Palace, which is next to a shallow pool with a pavilion in the center. It is said that Ala-ud-din-Khalji saw the reflection of beautiful Padmini in a palace mirror. After seeing her, he laid siege to Chittorgarh, which led to the city’s residents performing jauhar. The Kalika Mata Mandir, with its sculptures of gods, is across from here. It is now dedicated to goddess Kali, but was originally dedicated to Surya, the sun-god. You then follow the road south, past Deer Park and Bhimlat Tank. You then come to a crack in the wall said to have been where political prisoners and traitors were throw to their death 200m below. The
road then goes north and you come to Suraj Pol, the
fort’s eastern gate. Near the gate is the 22m high Kirti
Stambha (Tower of Fame). The tower is dedicated to Adinath,
the first Jain tirthankara and is covered with Jain sculptures. Bicycles
can be rented near the railway station (Rs 5 per hour, Rs 30-40 per
day). Taking a bike means you can take your time, without being hurried
by a rickshaw driver. It is a steep climb to the fort, but on top most
of the roads are flat. It takes about three hours to see everything. Ajmer Purna-Jaipur #9770 (6 am, 4½ hr), Ahmedabad-Delhi Sarai Rohila Exp #9944 (2 pm, 5½ hr); Indore Jaipur-Purna Exp #9769 (10.30 pm, 8 hr). Bus There are regular buses to Udaipur (3 hr, every hr), Kota (6 hr) via Bundi, Ajmer (5 hr), Jaipur (8 hr, 8 daily expresses) and Jodhpur (9 hr). Chittorgarh can be visited on a long day-trip from Udaipur. Bus station phone is 41177. Around Chittorgarh In Menal, 90km east of Chittorgarh, are a group of well-preserved 12th century temples. Castle Bijaipur (240099; Web Site: http://www.castlebijaipur.com) is 40km south of Chittorgarh in the peaceful village of Bijaipur. It is now a pleasant hotel with rooms for Rs 1550/1700. It is a former 16th century palace. You can book a room for here at the Hotel Pratap Palace in Chittorgarh. They arrange jeep and horse Village Safaris to places in the area. There are buses to here from Chittorgarh (40 km). A taxi to here from Chittorgarh is around Rs 350 Bijolia, 50km east of Chittorgarh, has three ancient Central Indian-style temples. The Undeswara Temple has a yoni and linga in the inner sanctums, and some excellent carvings. There are also the Mahalaleswara and Hajaswar temples. The Kushal Raj (01489 6743), opposite the bus stand, and the Mewara, next to the bus stand, are cheap basic places to stay. In Jagat, 20km from Chittorgarh going towards Udaipur, is a well-carved 10th century Durga temple. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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