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Kumbhalgarh: The incredible fort

Ranjeni A Singh, Aug 22, 2002, 12.07am IST

If you go up to Udaipur and skip Haldi Ghati and Kumbhalgarh, you'd be doing the most illogical thing. Kumbhalgarh may not be a conventional tourist destination, but it is a tranquil retreat, a place where one could go on long walks and not meet another tourist.

And not to forget the magnificent Kumbhalgarh fort built by Rana Kumbha, one of the greatest architects of the Sisodia clan of the Mewars of Rajasthan.

From afar, the 15th century marvel looks impregnable, almost intimidating. But get closer and the great walls of the fort enchant you with history writ large on its stones.

The 36-km long rampart is the second-longest continuous wall in the world. The size of the battlement may be gauged from the fact that the walls are wide enough for two chariots or a cavalry of eight horses to ride on.

As we slowly trudged up the winding path, fortified with seven protective gates, I wondered if I could ever make it to the summit on foot. We were all ears as our guide narrated the rise and fall of Rana Kumbha. We were so engrossed in his stories that we didn't know when we reached Badal Mahal, perched 3,500 ft above sea level.

The Badal Mahal or the palace of cloud is the most picturesque of all the structures. The palace has got its name for being the highest of all the structures. It offers a superb bird's eye view of the countryside surrounding the fort as well as of other ruins within the fort.

The location of Kumbhalgarh had always been its greatest advantage and perhaps the only reason of it being where it is. The fort is built on a 1,100-m high hill overlooking the approaches from Ajmer and Marwar. Today (because it is within easy reach of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Pushkar) Kumbhalgarh is an attractive destination.

In Kumbha's time the kingdom of Mewar spread from Ranthambore to Gwalior, including vast tracts of present-day Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Mewar's rulers became patrons of all that was best in Indian martial and fine arts, architecture, and learning. Of the 84 fortresses defending Mewar, 32 were designed and built by Rana Kumbha. Of these, Kumbhalgarh is the most impressive.

Kumbhalgarh defined the boundaries between Mewar and Marwar, and became a refuge for Mewar's rulers in times of strife. Kumbhalgarh fell only once in its history, to the combined forces of Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amer, and Raja Udai Singh of Marwar.

The massive fort, encompassed by a 36-km long wall, has seven majestic gates and seven ramparts, one within the other. Rounded bastions and soaring watchtowers strengthen the crenellated walls of the fort making it an impregnable structure. Fascinating chambers are built on the western side of the last gate — the Nimboo Pol.

According to history, the infant Udai Singh was smuggled from Bundi and hidden in these chambers by his faithful maid Panna Dai to save him from the murderous intentions of his uncles who desired the throne. Udai Singh ascended the throne of Mewar with Kumbhalgarh as his residence and later established the beautiful Lake City.

The ancient ruins of the temples within the fort date back to the Mauryan period built during the reign of the grandson of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka who belonged to the Jain community. Most of the ruins in Kumbhalgarh are of the Jain temples of various periods.

As one moves to the east, the Kali Temple and the Namadev Kund with royal chhatris can be seen. Another noteworthy temple, a little further enshrines a fine black marble lingam. The mandap or the hall of the temple has beautiful pillars, finely fluted and having a tapering shape. The forlorn palace was an engineering marvel in its time. And its walls, which were coated with a mixture of milk and eggshells, still glisten like ivory.

There is a small shrine in the courtyards of the building dedicated to the sadhu who was instrumental in building the fort. Our guide told us that Rana Kumbha was determined to build a fort at Kelwada about 80 km from Udaipur.

However all his efforts failed because for some strange reason, whatever he built during the day collapsed at night. Driven by despair, he sought the help of a sadhu. The sadhu told the king that he would build a fort, but on the condition that it be named after him.

The king agreed and the two men walked to the foot of the hill. Here, the sadhu told the king to pull out his sword and chop off his head, adding that the main gate was to be built at the spot where his head landed and the palace where his body came to rest.

The king did as he was told and to his amazement, he saw the headless body of the sadhu run up the hill till it finally collapsed near the summit. And so the Rana built his impressive fortress city and named it Kumbhalmer after himself and the sadhu, who came from the Mer caste.