A fabulous place with countless places to see and admire! Here the palaces, forts and other ancient monuments provided me a glimpse of what must have been Rajpitana's greatest citadel. Chittaurgarh was such a wonderful experience that I would cherish for the rest of my life.
Location: Rajasthan
Best time to visit::
November-February
Must visit attraction::
The fort
Excursions::
Nagari, Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary, Matri Kundia Temple
Chittaurgarh exhibits the pride and glory of Rajasthan in the form of its various forts and monuments. It is a ruined citadel where the royal past lives in the imposing forts, graceful palaces and spectacular chhatris. The entire city echoes with the tales of romance and valor unique to the Rajput tradition.
The trip to this fascinating city began with a visit to the Chittorgarh Fort, which was perched on a height of 180m high hill. I approached the fort on the back of an elephant, which was an exhilarating experience. The main gates to enter into the fort were Padal Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol and Ram Pol. Inside the Chittaurgarh Fort there were exquisitely carved chhatris and tablets that reminded me the Rajput heroism.
While driving towards the next destination I came across the magnificent Vijay Stambh. Though I had no plans to visit this but it was such a glorious monument that I decided to pay a short visit. The imposing 37 meter high structure was covered with exquisite sculpture of Hindu deities and depicting episodes from the two great epics- Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Driving through the colorful street of the city, I reached at Rana Kumbha Palace where Rani Padmini and other women committed Jauhar. It was the most massive monument in the fort of Chittaur.