|
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. |
