Kumbhalgarh Fort has been rightly called the pride of Mewar. Symbol of Rajputana valour.
It is a UN World Heritage Site under the category of Forts. Ghumakkad visited the fort in September 2017.
According to Rajasthan Tourism, "Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravali Ranges the fort was built in the 15th century AD by Rana Kumbha. The inaccessibility and hostility of the topography lends a semblance of invincibility to the fort. It served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strife. The fort also served as refuge to King Udai of Mewar in his early childhood when Banbir killed Vikramaditya and usurped the throne. It is of immense sentimental significance for the people being the birthplace of Mewar's legendary king Maharana Pratap. The fort is self-contained in all respects to withstand a protracted siege. There is a magnificent array of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The fort also offers a superb bird’s eye view of the surroundings. The fort's massive wall stretches some 36 kms with a width enough to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century."
We were a group of 22 Naval veterans and spouses in the age group of 65 to 76. The hike up the fort needed fitter frames. 11 of us climbed the fort on a bright morning. Of course all of us saw the sound and light show which was spectacular.
This picture story includes two video clips for you.
For those not familiar with the geopgraphy of the region, here is a map of Udaipur which is mid way between Ahmedabad and Jaipur on NH-8.
Next map shows the route from Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh.
The fort is well preserved. Pictures.
The famous 'Badal mahal' बादल महल meaning palace of clouds.
'Kalash' कलश means a metal pot. Here on top of the palace dome is a trishul त्रिशूल which was a symbol of occupation of the fort. Whosoever conquered the trishul, conquered the fort.
21st Century conquerers of the fort!
Kumbhalgarh Fort has a sound and light show every evening. A must for all travellers to Udaipur.
A short 30 second video below givs you a 'live' view at night.
Special thanks go to Dhupars- Arun and Vinita- who organised this trip. Here is the smiling couple at the fort that night!
For those readers intesrested in Forts, here are the links to Ghumakkad's earlier stories on some of the forts:
Cabo-de-Rama Fort in Goa
Golconda Fort Hyderabad
Ranthambhor Fort Rajasthan
The next story will take you to Ranakpur famous for it's 14th Century Jain Temple. Ghumakkad calls the Ranakpur temple a 'Marvel in Marble'. Preview picture below.
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Your feedback is most welcome.
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 4th Oct 2017
#Kumbhalgarh, #Mewar, #Udaipur, #FortsofRajasthan, #SoundandLightShow, #Pride_of_Mewar, #Picture_Story_by_Harsh_Bhargava, #Ghumakkad_Harsh, #GhumakkadHB, #NatGeoIndia #TravelIndia #WanderLust #IncredibleIndia #LonelyPlanetIndia #RajasthanTourism #NavyVeterans
It is a UN World Heritage Site under the category of Forts. Ghumakkad visited the fort in September 2017.
According to Rajasthan Tourism, "Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravali Ranges the fort was built in the 15th century AD by Rana Kumbha. The inaccessibility and hostility of the topography lends a semblance of invincibility to the fort. It served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strife. The fort also served as refuge to King Udai of Mewar in his early childhood when Banbir killed Vikramaditya and usurped the throne. It is of immense sentimental significance for the people being the birthplace of Mewar's legendary king Maharana Pratap. The fort is self-contained in all respects to withstand a protracted siege. There is a magnificent array of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The fort also offers a superb bird’s eye view of the surroundings. The fort's massive wall stretches some 36 kms with a width enough to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century."
We were a group of 22 Naval veterans and spouses in the age group of 65 to 76. The hike up the fort needed fitter frames. 11 of us climbed the fort on a bright morning. Of course all of us saw the sound and light show which was spectacular.
This picture story includes two video clips for you.
Next map shows the route from Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh.
You can see the panoramic view in a 20-second video shot that morning.
Special thanks go to Dhupars- Arun and Vinita- who organised this trip. Here is the smiling couple at the fort that night!
Cabo-de-Rama Fort in Goa
Golconda Fort Hyderabad
Ranthambhor Fort Rajasthan
The next story will take you to Ranakpur famous for it's 14th Century Jain Temple. Ghumakkad calls the Ranakpur temple a 'Marvel in Marble'. Preview picture below.
Your feedback is most welcome.
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 4th Oct 2017
#Kumbhalgarh, #Mewar, #Udaipur, #FortsofRajasthan, #SoundandLightShow, #Pride_of_Mewar, #Picture_Story_by_Harsh_Bhargava, #Ghumakkad_Harsh, #GhumakkadHB, #NatGeoIndia #TravelIndia #WanderLust #IncredibleIndia #LonelyPlanetIndia #RajasthanTourism #NavyVeterans
That's awesome
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