|
Forts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan's history lies
enshrined in its forts, several
of which dot the arid landscape.
Over the centuries, several
forts were abandoned, some
captured, some disabused,
leaving behind a rich history in
their wake. While palaces
outside of the forts have been a
more recent phenomenon, ranging
across the 19th and 20th
centuries, the forts are often
very old. However, since
additions were constantly made
to these dwellings, they provide
a rich architectural legacy of
influences on architecture that
begins with the Hindu-Rajput,
shows assimilation of the Mughal
and, later the British,
resulting in a sense of opulence
best characterised by what has
come to be referred as Indo-Saracenic
architecture.
Provided here are small capsules
of some of the more historic
forts of Rajasthan. This is a
small list, and completely
overlooks others such as the
forts at Ranthambhor and Gagron
that have had a major role to
play in the history of India
because they are less frequented
by visitors.
Chittaurgarh Fort,
Chittaurgarh: Probably
India's greatest medieval fort,
and its most chivalrous, it was
from here that the Sisodias went
to war against the Mughals at
the famous battle of Haldighati.
Set on a high plateau,
Chittaurgarh sprawls supremely
above the surrounding
countryside. First established
in the 7th century, Chittaur
became the gaddi for the Sisodia
rulers who proved themselves
indomitable fighters. Its
fortifications meander allong
the ridges of the hills, and
from these concealed vantage
points, they extended their sway
over their kindom.
Sacked in 1303 through an act of
treachery perpetrated by
allauddin Khilji in his attempt
to win over Rani Padmini,
Chittaur fell twice more in the
16th century, first to the
forces of the Sultan of Gujarat,
and later the Mughal Akbar.
Abandoned then by its rulers who
continued to wage guerilla
warfare against the Mughals
(making valouous legends out of
the names of Rana Sangha and
Rana Pratap), the Sisodias later
established a new capital at
Udaipur.
Chittaurgarh's abandonment led
to the ruin of its palaces and
apartments, and its durbar
halls. Little has survived the
ravages of the pillaging armies
and of time, but there is enough
to provide a glimpse of what
must have been one of
Rajputana's greatest citadels.
These include the ruins of Rana
Kumbha's palace as well as what
is believed to be Rani Padmini's
palace. Both are in a state of
ruin, and there is little that
hints at architectural splendour,
because many of the subsidiary
buildings and much of the
ornamentation no longer exists.
Chittaurgarh also houses the
palaces, again in ruins, of the
brave Sisodia warriors, Jaimal
and Patta.
Among the buildings that are in
a reasonable state of
preservation are two towers, the
22-metre high, 12th century
Kirti Stambh which was built by
a Jain merchant and is carved
with figures of Jain
tirthankaras, and Vijay Stambh,
the 37-metre high victory tower
carrved with episodes from the
Hindu epics, raised in the 15th
century to commemorate a battle
victory against the rulers of
Malwa nd Gujarat.
A religious people, the Rajputs
also paid homage to their gods
in elaborate rituals. No wonder
there are so many temples that
can still be visited within the
fortifications of Chittaurgarh.
These include the Kumbha Shyam
and Kalika Mata temples, as well
as the Meera temple where a
princess of the royal family
composed many of the religious
hymns to Krishna for which she
is still remembered.
Chittaurgarh is 90 km from
Udaipur airport, which is its
entry point from several other
parts of the state. Basic
accommodation is available, and
restaurants are rudimentary.
Best visited as an excursion
from Udaipur.
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner :
Just over five centuries old,
Bikaner was founded by a scion
of the house of Marwar
(Jodhpur). The fort of Bikaner,
Junagarh, however, was buil in
1593 by Raja Rai Singh who also
served as a general in the army
of Emperor Akbar. Made from red
sandstone and encircled by a
moat around which the modern
city of Bikaner has spread in a
somewhat erratic fashion,
Junagarh consists of several
palaces and apartments in a
remarkable state of
preservation. The art of the
mason and sculptor is most
obvious in the recreation of
delicate stone screens, kiosks,
pavilions and series of arched
entrances to buildings reached
from corridors that have windows
over lookings the city beyond.
Some of the palaces are among
the most richly decorated in
Rajasthan, and include Anup
Mahal, Chandra Mahal and Phool
Mahal. They give the impressions
of rich inlay of pietra dura,
though in fact the apartments
are merely richly painted. The
paintings have been preserved as
good as new because of the
extremely dry heat conditions of
the desert town. Another palace
Badal Mahal recreates paintings
of clouds on its walls, a
reminder of the monsoon that
often failed the settlement. The
Anup Mahal courtyard has a
throne set in a pool of water,
bringing alive the sensitivity
the rulers showed in their
building environment. A formal
set of sandstone staircases, and
the wooden Durbar Hall are
additions made early in this
century by Maharaja Ganga Singh.
Maharaja Ganga Singh is also
responsible for the building of
Lallgarh, his red sandstone
palace outside Junagarh.
Designed by Sir Swinton Jacob,
it remains a formal, but
unmistakably Rajput structure
with a rich mass of stone pieced
screens and windows.
Bikaner is 334 km from Jaipur,
253 km from Jodhpur and 456 km
from Delhi, all of which have
air-ports. The city is served by
convenient rail and road
connections. Accommodation is
available at both palace and
heritage hotels, as well as in
some standard, modern hotels.
The choice of restaurants is
somew hat more limited, and most
visitors dine at their hotels.
Kotah Fort, Kota : Once a
part of the kingdom of Bundi,
the principality of Kota was
gifted away to a scion, and has
since been known for its
stirring saga of valour and
chivalry. The Fort, a large,
sprawling structure, is best
known for its Durbar Hall which
has paintings and mirrorwork,
and has doors of ebony and
ivory.
Kota, like Bundi, came to be
known for the very high quality
of its wall paintings. In
particular, it has become known
for its hunting scences.
Like other kingdoms, the
maharajas abandoned the fort to
build themselves modern palaces.
Umed Bhawan is a sprawling,
ungainly structure while the
smaller Brijraj Bhawan overlooks
the Chambal river in the City,
below, and the growing
industrialisation that now
characterises the town.
Both palaces double as hotels.
Connected by air, Kota is 245 km
from Jaipur, and lies on the
Delhi-Mumbai rail link.
Kumbhalgarh Fort : If
Chittaurgarh was the pride of
the Sisodias, Kumbhalgarh is the
crown with which they earned
themselves merit. Raised by Rana
Kumbha, this impregnable
fortress perches itself on top
of 13mountain peaks in the
Aravallis. Battlements 36 km
long gird its fierce looking
bastions overhung with steep
walls from which decorative
windows project. A steep climb
up a narrow road leads to the
entrance. It was here that
Prince Uday, smuggled out of
Chittaurgarh by his nursemaid
Panna Dai, found refuge, and it
was from here he ruled before
going on to establish the new
capital of Udaipur.
Though inhabited briefly, it
also afforded refuge to the
Mughal prince, Jehangir, from
his estranged father, Emperor
Shah Jehan. Within the fort,
Badal Mahal is particularly
noteworthy for its exquisite
interiors and its soaring height
over other structures. Also
found here are ancient Jain
temples dating back to the
Mauryan period. Medieval Hindu
temples with fluted pillars, and
a few chhatris or cenotaphs are
also memorable. The buildings at
Kumbhalgarh, unlike at
Chittaurgarh, are mostly intact.
Kumbhalgarh is 105 km from
Udaipur, from where it can be
reached by a good motorable
road. There is a quaint heritage
hotel close by, but most other
facilities are best at Udaipur.
Lohagarh, Bharatpur :
Underrated by most visitors to
Bharatpur who head for its
bational park and bird
sanctuary, the fort held by the
Jat rulers of this state has
bastions of sand that were
strong enough to absorb the
impact of canonshells that
simply exbedded themselves
within it. Impregnable to most
attacks, this 18th century fort
was ordered by Maharaja Suraj
Mal, the founder of the dynasty
at Bharatpur.
Lohagarh is located in the heart
of the old city, and its
entrance is form a crowded
street that leads through the
massive entrance gate into what
is a living fort with several
modern additions. However, the
part of the fort that has been
preserved consists of a
sprawling palace complex since
it combines Rajput and Mughal
architecture with Jat influences
in building style, a few of the
eight original towers of which
Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj are
of particular interest, and
floors laid with tiles.
Visitors are also recommended a
visit to deeg, 32 km away, the
summer retreat of the Jats,
where the palaces take on a
languid quality. Since it was a
leisure retreat, the buildings
are set apart with gardens
interspersing in the spaces in
between. One complex, the
Monsoon Palace, is fronted by
coloured fountains and used
machinery set into the ceiling
that recreated the sound of
thunder- a welcome sound in the
parched desert country.
Bharatpur is 56 km from Agra,
176 km from Jaipur and 184 km
from Delhi. It is well connected
by road, and has a network of
accommodation choices, including
within the sanctuary.
Mehrangarh For, Jodhpur :
One of the most stunning hill
forts of Rajasthan, Mehrangarh
appears to rise from the bluff-coloured
sandstone hill itself, so well
built into the base that it is
difficult to tell where the hill
ends and the walls begin.
Founded in the 15th century by
the Rathore Rajputs when they
shifted their capital from
nearby Mandore to Jodhpur (or
the region known as Marwar), it
is approached by a series of
seven gateways set at an angle
so that armies could not charge
them with any success. Past the
gates, the fort-palace takes
one's breath away. Across from
huge courtyards are set wings of
palatial apartments that have
been built over five centuries
of bristling history.
Today, managed as a museum by
the royal trust that maintains
it, only some of the more
spectacular palaces of
Mehrangarh are open to visitors.
These consist of Moti Mahal with
its pierced screen windows
overlooking the coronation seat
where the Rathore rulere have
been ritually anointed to rule;
Jhanki Mahal, the apartment from
where the zenana women would
watch ceremonial events; Chandan
Mahal, where affairs of state
were discussed; the royal Darbar
Takhat or throne room with its
octagonal throne; and the Rang
Mahal where the maharaja would
play Holi with his zenana. Also
noteworty are Sheesh Mahal,
Phool Mahal, Umaid Vilas and
Maan Vilas, while a large tent
seized from the Mughals in
battle is spread for viewing in
what has come to be referred to
as the Tent Room.
Mehrangarh from the outside is
impressive, and certainly
forbidding. There is a
surprising lightness to it
though, once actually within the
fort. The builders seemed to
want to make up for the stern
austerity of its walls with an
overwhelming profusion of
windows and jharokas at the
upper ends. The effect seems to
exaggerate its already
impressive height.
On the hill of Mehrangarh is
Jaswant Thada, the white marble
cenotaph built to commemorate
the memory of Maharaja Jaswant
Singh in 1899. The cenotaphs of
the other rulers, in the same
neighbouhood, are relatively
simpler. From the ramparts of
Mehrangarh, one can also see the
art-deco Umaid Bhawan Palace
located on top of Chatter Hill.
One of the largest private
residences in the world, it had
been designed by Sir Edwin
Lancaster, and is now home to
the erstwhile royal family as
well as luxury hotel.
Jodhpur is 336 km from Jaipur
and 249 km from Bikaner, and is
connected both by air and rail.
Good quality accommodation and
restaurants are part of the
facilities in this historic
town.
Sonar Qila, Jaisalmer :
Life, in the searing heat of the
summer months of the dedieval
ages, once flourished within the
99 bastions of the fort of
Jaisalmer. Rising from sand
dunes, resembling from a
distance a giant ant hill.
Closer, the bastions show up
more formidable, vast chunks of
honey-coloured stone blocks
carved to dovetail together.
Within these bastions is a
complete township that consists
of a palace complex, the havelis
of rich Jain merchants carved
with an incredibly light touch,
and Hindu temples.
Jaisalmer was founded in the
12th century by the Bhatti
Rajputs who shifted here from
Lodurva. Placed strategically on
the trade route along which
ancient caravans passed,
Jaisalmer soon became rich, so
much so that the merchants, who
also served as ministers in the
royal courts, came to command
more power than the rulers
themselves. No wonder the large
mansions of the merchants, built
adjacent to each other in the
nature of medieval desert
cultures, are so profusely
decorated that the palace, in
comparison, appears to pale.
While the havelis and the
palace, along with the temples,
will warrant the mandatory
visits, Jaisalmer is incredible
for the experience it brings
alive of a medieval township
caught in a time warp, as you
move up its ancient cobbled
streets. For most part, its
incredible sculptors were Muslim
craftsmen who were induced, on
their journeys to the patrons in
other parts of India, to stay.
The result is an archi-tectruaj
purity that, because of
Jaisalmer's incredible
isolation, is seem elsewhere.
Jaisalmer is located deep in the
heart of the desert, 285 km from
Jodhpur. It can be reached by
road and rail from Jodhpur, and
is also connected with Barmer
and Bikaner. In recent years, a
number of good hotels have
opened in Jaisalmer, and the
township has developed
appropriate tourist
ifrastructure to cater to most
requirements.
Tarragarh, Bundi : Girded
by the Aravalli hills, Bundi's
Taragarh fort and the palace
complex at its base are among
the most romantic sights of
Rajasthan. Set within the
horse-shoe shaped fold of the
hills, and with lakes and water
reservoirs below, the fort
stra-ddles the crest and offers
invincible battlements that must
have proved difficult to scale.
Bundi, ruled by the Hada
Chauhans from the 13th century
on, was given its fort in the
mid-14 century, hewn out of the
sandstone and basalt rock of the
Aravallis here. It was here,
too, that huge water reservoirs
were created, since water was
one of the most important
resources when armies laid siege
on a fort. It the Bundi Palace
complex, reached from a ramp,
are the several apartments part
of such complexes in princely
Rajasthan. However, Bundi has
come to be well known for the
very high quality of its wall
paintings, and these can be seen
in Chandra Mahal, and more
particularly at the Chitrashala
or picture gallery established
by Rao Raja Umed Singh in the
18th century. These depict
scences from the life of
Krishna, and are unusual for
their blue-green tints.
Bundi is 22 km from Kota town,
and 206 km from Jaipur. Well
linked by road, its most
convenient railhead is Kota.
Accommodation too is best at
Kota. |
