1. Amer Fort, Jaipur
Amer Fort took 100 years to complete and today it stands as a magnificent fort that comprises of an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard.
Started by Raja Man Singh in the 17th Century, the fort was later completed by Raja Jai Singh I and Sawai Jai Singh II, founder of the city of Jaipur. If you are wondering about the story behind the name of this fort then the legend says Amer got its name from Amba, Goddess Durga who was the prime deity worshipped by Meenas.
While taking the tour, head to Sheesh Mahal and tilt your head a bit. Spotted the magical flower? Touch it to feel the intricate finesse of this piece embossed on one of the pillars – spot lotus, hidden cobra, scorpion, lion’s tail, a cob of corn, fish tail and two butterflies on each side. Fascinating? Now you are free to get bowled over by the romance of the place and the sheer imagination that must have gone into creating the masterpiece.
Another thing, we are always so fascinated by the tunnels and secret passages! Head down to the basement and that will lead you to the 2 km long tunnel connecting to the the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the Aravalli range. According to the historians, this tunnel which is full of ramps and staircases was a secret passage to evacuate Queens at the time of invasion.
Not to miss: The Amber sound-and-light show near Maota Lake.
2. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Rudyard Kipling once described Mehrangarh Fort as “A palace that might have been built by Titans and colored by the morning sun” and we couldn’t agree more. You need to see it to believe it.
This magnificent fort rises impregnable from a rocky hill 120m above Jodhpur’s skyline – the building materials of the fort were chiselled from the rock on which the fort stands. Interestingly, the base of the fort merges with it. The fort is protected by walls measuring 118 ft in height and 69 ft in width, explore the many palaces, with their expansive courtyards, and a museum that has preserved a vast collection of paintings, costumes, arms and ammunitions, relics and artefacts from the Mughal and the Rathore dynasty.
Hear an interesting story that haunts the present of the fort still – according to a legend, a hermit called Cheeria Nathji used to meditate on the hill, where the king Rao Jodha decided to build the fort and he was forced to move out of the place. Raged in fury, the hermit cursed the family saying that his fort would suffer from scarcity of water. Till date, the fort faces draughts every 3-4 years.
Since you are here, do visit Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park that contains unique volcanic rock formations such as welded tuff, rhyolite, breccia and sandstone formations.
Not to miss: Chand Baori inside the fort was used as the filming location of the prison in the e famous Hollywood movie “The Dark Knight Rises”. Get to the location!
3. Kumbhalgarh Fort, Udaipur
It’s called ‘The Great Wall of India,’ so you can imagine it somewhat! This is the world’s second largest wall after The Great Wall of China that stretches close to 36 kms in length and 15 metres in width; so much that two cars can run parallel on the wall. It only took 15 years to complete this fort, and inside the fort reside 360 temples including 300 Jain & 60 Hindu temples. The legend says that Maharan Kumbha failed multiple times in constructing the fort and then a saint called ‘baid baba was consulted who suggested a voluntary human sacrifice.Sounds eerie? Well, there is more. When no one volunteered the saint himself volunteered.
It is believed that the fort remained almost invincible throughout the Mewar rulers era. Originally the fort was called Machhindrapur, since it was built on the ruins of ancient structure around the village ‘Machhind’. If you wish to dive deep into the history and making of this fort, do stay till evening for the sound and light show, which is one of the most spectacular sights to watch.
Walk down the congested stairs of the fort that was a common feature back then, to act as a defence against the invading army. Walk up to Badal Mahal, which as the name suggests takes you close to the clouds and the view from there is just magnificent.
Not to miss: A visit to the ancient Neelkantha Mahadeva Temple that houses the largest (5ft high) shivling inside the temple walls. Mahakarna Kumbha, ruler of Mewar dynasty used to do ‘Abhishek’ (pouring off milk while chanting mantras) while sitting there.
4. Neemrana Fort, Alwar
Discover this awe-inspiring Fort Palace, a stone’s throw away from the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Also known for its spectacular sunsets, the 553-year-old heritage hotel is situated on the 2-billion-year-old Aravalli hills, where it is restored to provide 21st century amenities for the luxury traveler. The fort was built in the year 1464 under the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan. The architecture of the Fort Palace is exquisite and simply marvellous to say the least. It is an 11-tiered fort that covers almost 10 hectares of land.
Neemrana serves as the best location especially if you are covering Golden Triangle since it is located at an almost equal distance (within 200 km) from the 3 major cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. According to the historians, Neemrana’s successors were so proud of their lineage that they refused to bend according to the rules of the British. This ended in suffering for the rulers since the British divided the land and distributed it amongst Patiala, Nabha, Alwar and the other viceroys who were liked by the British.
Not to miss: Zipline the fort & travel through Sariska Wildlife sanctuary.
5. Chittor Fort, Chittorgarh
The largest fort in India was built in the 7th century by the Mauryas served as the capital of Mewar; shaped like a fish if you get to see the bird’s eye view and houses many palaces, 19 significant temples, 4 memorials and 84 water bodies out of which only 22 remains. In the past, almost half of the fort’s space was covered with water holding one billion gallons of water enough for an army of 50,000 to survive for four years without fear of thirst. The fort perched up high above on a hilltop is the epitome of Rajputana strength and valour & Jauhar of Rani Padmini.
According to a legend associated with the fort, Rani Padmini, a princess from Sri Lanka married Rajput ruler Rawal Ratan Singh and moved to Chittor. It was in Rana Kumbha’s palace underground cellars that Padmavati immolated herself along with other women to allegedly escape one of the most powerful rulers of the Khalji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, Allaudin Khilji. The fort also houses Meerabai’s temple where she worshipped Lord Krishna.
Not to miss: If you happen to visit Chittorgah in February, do not miss Chittorgarh Fort Festival for an extravagant journey into Rajasthani & Mewadi culture.
The list is exhaustive, we will come back with some more folklore and legends associated with some of the most majestic forts in the city of Rajasthan. Stay tuned.
