Chittorgarh is famous for its legendary fort, which faced many battles and withstood many sieges. Today, it’s a sprawling 700-acre UNESCO-protected monument – a living testament to Rajput valor, sacrifice, and architectural brilliance.
Chittor is a nice day trip from Udaipur, which takes approximately 2 hours each way. The fort itself will probably take another couple of hours. Visiting earlier in the day is recommended as it gets very hot. But that means, if you want to watch the light and show, you have no choice but to hang around the town (where there isn’t much to see) the whole day. You could decide to shop, but Udaipur is a far better shopping destination.
After some discussion, we decided to do just the day tour and skip the light and sound show, which I think is fine. I generally find light and sound displays quite bombastic and not worth the time.
The fort is located at the top of a small hill. It’s fairly close to the town and not as isolated and ruggedly beautiful as Kumbalgarh. Still, the views of the city were quite nice.
The fort’s walls are massive, and the history behind all the rooms is fascinating. Get a guide to tell you all the local legends. We were humbled by the stories of Jauhar (self-immolation) and Saka (massacre) associated with the fort. Though tragic, these acts of defiance against invaders showcase the Rajput commitment to honor. Read up on the story of Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini before you visit – the guides will go into all the story’s details and tell you in which part of the fort these incidents occurred.
The highlight of the place was the beautiful palace (rumored) of Rani Padmini. Located a little isolated from the main complex, the only way to it appears to be through an underground tunnel, which we weren’t allowed to go. Despite that, it was still lovely to see from the outside.
And this last palace of Rani Padmini culminated our visit to Udaipur, Kumbalgarh, and Chittorgarh. We headed out to the airport to catch our flight back to Bangalore. It was a short but action-packed three-day weekend filled with palaces, forts, shopping, and culture. Overall, a wonderful time!
Chittor is really impressive. The one city which is nothing but a fort. Absolutely fascinating.
it was a lovely experience!
I could feel goosebumps imagining all that had happened there in the past. And it’s still such a rock, solid construction. Amazing!