Standing tall amidst the huddle of the thirteen mountain peaks of the Aravalli Range in the Rajasmand district of Rajasthan at a distance of about 64 km North West of Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the majestic architectural masterpiece and a sentry to the glorious past of the yester year kings. It was constructed in the 15th century by Maharana Kumbha who ruled the region from 1419 AD to 1463 AD and is one of the prominent forts of Rajasthan after the Chittorgarh Fort in Mewar region.
The fort is cradled at an elevation of 1,914 meters above the sea level providing some of the splendid views of the surrounding areas. The most amazing thing about this fort is that a fort is constructed within itself which is simply a work of mastermind and the architectural stunning success of the designers and workers of that era. The big complex of this fort houses magnificent temples, exquisite gardens, bewitching palaces and Kartagarh which is an inner fort constructed by Maharana Fateh Singh after he pulled down the old palace built by Rana Kumbha.
Kartagarh is popular for its palace which is named ‘Badal Mahal’ literally the palace of the clouds and is also attributed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Maharana Pratap who was a great warrior. The palace is festooned with exotic colour combination of white, turquoise and green giving it a presence of utter beauty. In the eye of every visitor the palace seems to be a palace in the middle of clouds owing to which it was named Badal Mahal. It is also renowned for offering some of the magical views of the down town.
The huge complex of the Fort of Rajasthan has numerous palaces, temples and gardens making it more magnificent.
The fort was unconquered owing to its intimidating landscape and detachment except for once when it felt in the hands of the Mughal and Amber combined armies due to the shortage of drinking water.
It was in this fort that the legendary Maharana Pratap was born along with being a fort which served the rulers of Mewar as a safe haven during the times of conflict. It was also the place of safety to the baby king of Mewar, Udai creating an example of the finest suspicious strengthening in entire Rajasthan.
The defenses of the fort measures a thickness of 25 feet and length of 36 km making it the second largest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China.
Entrance Fee:
The entrance fee for an India is Rs. 10/person and it is Rs. 100/foreigner.
Best time to Visit: An ideal time to attend this fort could be from the month of October to February as this place enjoys tranquil climatic conditions during this time.
Accommodation: The in and around areas of this magical fort has plenty of hotels and resorts to fulfill all the desire and demands of a customer by providing every possible facilities and services. Club Mahindra Kumbhalgarh and the Haveli Resort are some of them.
How to Reach:
By Air: Udaipur airport is the closest airport at about 81 km.
By Train: Phalna about 80 km is the closest railhead.
By Road: One can easily hire taxi or get on a bus from Udaipur city, railway station and airport to reach this place.
The fort is about 82 km from Udaipur built around 1443 AD over a hilltop in Arawali range by Rana Kumbha who personaly designed the safe fort with a perimeter of 37 km wall ,second to the Great wall of China where in a row four horses can run together , the main gate Hanuman Pol is protected by fifteen feet thick wall ,it was self-sufficient to protect its residents for food and water besides safety , it could be conquered only once in its life time due to the shortage of water by the Akbar with the help of Man Singh of Amer. I enjoyed a lot to visit this fort after my bus tours to grand canyon from los angeles. I come to k know all these details from the locals during my last tour to this fort.
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