Kumbalgarh is about 80 km from Udaipur city – making it a comfortable day trip. We booked a car and driver for the day and it was a very comfortable journey.
Kumbalgarh is mainly known for its massive fort, built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. The fort is known for its massive walls that extend over 38 kilometers, making it the second-longest continuous wall after the Great Wall of China. The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an architectural marvel.
We visited Udaipur and Kumbalgarh in July, and it was unseasonably cool and beautiful. The drive to the fort goes through rural, country roads, and it was a pleasure to see this side of Rajasthan.
Kumbalgarh fort was quite empty when we reached, so my friend and I pretty much had the whole place to ourselves – which we took full advantage of taking tons of selfies and photos. Since the fort is not in any major city, it’s not too crowded, nor spoilt. It looks quite pristine, well-maintained, and overall very lovely.
It’s hard to get photos of the entire fort since it’s so vast. There is an approx. 40 min climb up to get to the top of the fort. But, with the pleasant weather, it’s a fairly comfortable walk.
Unlike Udaipur palace, or the Jaipur forts, Kumbalgarh fort is not a palace cum fort. Its purpose is primarily for security, which seems quite successful, considering the Mughals had numerous skirmishes with the Rajput kings there.
On the way to the top, there are lovely views of the landscape below.
The top of the fort is quite high – and is not for people without a head for heights.
The views from the top are interesting. One one side is the hilly area of Mewar – which was ruled by the Ranas from Udaipur. On the other side, is the flat, arid, plains of Marwar.
The whole walk up and down the fort takes about 2 hours, leaving us a lot of time to do other things. My friend was very keen to see the battle areas of Haldighati, which was close by. The battlefield is impressive, but the museum nearby less so – a hard pass.
There are also a couple of famous Krishna temples nearby – the Nathdwara temple where Krishna is depicted as a young boy. The temple overall is good, but there is plenty of crowd and some amount of pushing and shoving in order to see the deity. This place is also famous for the mammoth statue of Lord Shiva.
By the time we finished the temples, it was nearing sunset so we headed back to our AirBnB in Udaipur. It was a fantastic day trip for us. If you don’t have the time or inclination to spend the whole day though, just cover the fort. It’s fantastic, and you should not miss!
Tip: Any shopping you do – do it in Udaipur only. Do not shop in Kumbalgarh or other towns. The best prices and items are in Udaipur.
