Rajasthan is such a place which fulfills all kind of travel goals. A devotee, a foodie, a history seeker, all can travel together and get satisfied at the same time.

Driving through the ancient temples, Palaces & forts, which narrates the fascinating stories about its kings, Queens, their Royalty, bravery & sacrifices. Walking through the “malpua stalls” in Pushkar and having “Dal Bati Churma” in Lunch, gatte ki sabji, delicious snacks & much more, thus it’s a foodies paradise too.

One of such forts, which stands tall till date, narrating stories of its kings and Kingdoms, their passion for freedom, fights, invasion and top of that epic masterpiece of “Rajput Military hill architecture” and construction, “KUMBHALGARH“

Around 82 kms from Udaipur, Rajasthan, kumbhalgarh is a world heritage site, which has second largest wall in the world (after the great Wall of China). Kumbhal fort is built in 15th century by Rana Kumbha, built on a hilltop 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level on the Aravalli range, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 km (22 mi), making it one of the longest walls in the world. The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to see kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar Desert can be seen from the fort walls.

In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kumbhalgarh Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Inside the fort:

Lakhola Tank is the most notable tank inside the fort, constructed by Rana Lakha during 1382–1421 CE. Aaret Pol is the gate on the western side, Halla Pol with an downward slope from the entrance, Ram Pol and Hanuman Pol near Bavadi are the major gates of the fort. There are inscriptions on the foot of idols in Hanuman Pol detailing the construction of the fort. Bad Shahi Bavdi is a stepped tank, believed to have been built during the invasion of Shahbaz Khan in 1578, the general of Akbar to provide water to the troops. Most buildings are visible from the Ram Pol, which is considered an architectural specimen.

There are 360 temples within the fort, some noticeable are, A Ganesh temple built on a 12 ft (3.7 m) platform and is considered the earliest of all temples built inside the fort. Neel Kanth Mahadeva temple is located on the eastern side of the fort built during 1458 CE. The central shrine of Shiva is approached through a rectangular enclosure and through a structure supported by 24 huge pillars. The idol of Shiva is made of black stone and is depicted with 12 hands. The inscriptions indicate that the temple was renovated by Rana Shanga.

Parsva Natha temple (built during 1513), Jain temple on the eastern side and Bawan (52) Jain temples and Golera Jain temple are the major Jain temples in the fort. Mataji temple, also called Kheda Devi temple is located on the southern side of Neela Kanth temple.Mamdeo temple, Pital Shah Jain temple and Surya Mandir (Sun temple) are the other major temples inside the fort.

You can do a short trek to climb upon the palace, and birth place of the legend Maharana Pratap. While there is not much on top, but views of fort walls from top are magnificent. Thus worth a climb.

How to reach :

– Nearest International airport is “Sardar vallabhbhai Patel airport, Ahmedabad” from where kumbhalgarh is 182 kms (5 hours drive). Book a cab in advance.

– Nearest Domestic airport is “Maharana Pratap Airport, Udaipur” from there kumbhalgarh is 82 kms (2 hrs drive). one can book a cab to kumbhalgarh or take a bus. Rajasthan state government transportation has a good bus connectivity to kumbhalgarh

– Nearest Railway Station is at “Falna”, 84 kms from kumbhalgarh, can be reached by private cab or bus. Falna has a good rail connectivity to major cities in India.

Where to stay :

– There are many budget as well as decent hotels in kumbhalgarh, which provides good stay facilities

– If you’re a  budget traveller and willing to visit nathdwara along way,  stay in a dharamshala or guest houses at “Nathdwara” for Rs. 500- Rs. 1000 per day, from where kumbhalgarh is around 51 kms and can be reached by private cab or taxis.

Culture and Festivals :

The Rajasthan Tourism Department organizes a three-day annual festival in the fort in remembrance of the passion of Maharana Kumbha towards art and architecture. Sound and light shows are organized with the fort as the background. 

Dates : It is usually held in December every year. This year it’s on 1-3 December 2020.

Nearby Attractions :
Udaipur 82 kms
Nathdwara (50 kms)
Chittorgarh (160 km) and Eklingji temple (70 km on the way to chittorgarh)

For practical insights to my readers, sharing a beautiful video clip of aerial view of Kumbhalgarh Fort, which I came across during my more research while writing this story. To watch Click on Video