Kumbhalgarh fort is one of the biggest forts of Rajasthan and India, and has great historical significance. Birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the legendary ruler of Mewar, the fort is located on a hilltop and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort wall with a circumference of over 36 sq. kms are the largest in India as such called the ‘Great Wall of India’ and is the second largest in the world after the ‘Great Wall of China’. Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rajasthan state.
Built in the 15th century by Maharana Kumbha of Mewar from the Sisodia Rajput clan, between 1443 and 1458 AD, Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the five hill forts of Rajasthan, which were selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2013. The inaccessibility and topographic hostility lend a semblance of invincibility to the gigantic fort. Situated in Rajsamand district just about 48 km from Rajsamand city and 82 kms from Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh Fort was constructed on the foothills of Aravalli Mountain ranges. It is surrounded by thirteen hill peaks and is perched at an elevation of 1,914 mtrs.
The magnificent fort is situated in the middle of a forest, which has been turned into a wildlife sanctuary. It is the second-largest and the most important Mewar fort of Rajasthan after Chittorgarh. The majestic fort was built under the direction of Mandan who was a very renowned architect of that time. Mandan had documented his style of work in his text, Rajvallabh. The Kumbhalgarh fort, one of the largest fort complexes in the world; was constructed in the exact same place where a small fort existed limited to small hilly area, which was attributed to King Samprati, a Jain king in the 2nd century BC; and was then known as Matsyaendra Durg.
The fort offers a spectacular bird’s eye view of the surrounding areas for several kms. Named after Rana Kumbha, the Kumbhalgarh fort was cleverly designed on a hilltop to provide the strategic position to the Mewar kings to protect it against the attacks of the enemy. Inside the fort is the magnificent Badal Mahal, built inside the fort by Maharana Fateh Singh during 19th century, who was one of the most famous builders of his time.
Rana Lakha, an ancestor of Rana Kumbha had won this entire area and plains of Godwar from Chauhan Rajputs of Nadol in late 14th century. He built Lakhola Tank to provide water to the fort between 1382 and 1421 AD. The tank located on western side of Kelwara town, is 5 kms in length with a width of 100 to 200 mtrs at places. It had a depth of around 12 mtrs, which has now been increased to 18 mtrs after independence.
Out of the 84 forts he had in his control during his reign, Rana Kumbha is said to have built 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate. Besides Badal Mahal, Kumbha Palace, Jain Temples, Baoris, Chhattris, water reservoirs are some of the most important structures inside the spectacular fort. There are over 70 temples inside the fort, belonging to both Jain and Hindu faith; including Vedi Temple and Trikuta Temple, which is dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the most important.
Importance of Kumbhalgarh is that it helped separate Mewar and Marwar from each other; and was used as a place of refuge by the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. The fort remained impregnable to any kind of direct assault for a long time. In 1457, Ahmed Shah I of Gujarat attacked Kumbalgarh Fort, but failed.
Another notable instance was in the case of Prince Udai, and father of Maharana Pratap; then infant king of Mewar was smuggled here in 1535, when Chittorgarh was under siege. Prince Udai later succeeded the throne at Chittorgarh. There was a local belief then that the Banmata deity in the fort protected it, which was destroyed in an invasion of Ahmed Shah I. There were further attempts in 1458–59 and 1467 by Mahmud Khalji, but they also proved futile.
Mughal Emperor Akbar’s general, Shahbaz Khan, attacked Kumbhalgarh fort and after 6 months siege, he was able to capture the fort in April 1577. But it was recaptured by Maharana Pratap in 1578. In 1818, an armed band of sanyasis formed a garrison to protect the fort, but were convinced by James Tod, a British officer against such act. The fort was subsequently taken over by the Britishers and returned after several years to Udaipur State.
Although a lot of additions were made to the fort by later Maharana’s of Mewar, but original structure of the fort as built by Maharana Kumbha remains the same. Built on a hilltop 1,100 mtrs above sea level, the Kumbhalgarh forts’ frontal walls are 15 feet thick. The self-contained fort was designed to withstand any kind of protracted siege. Today some stretches of the ‘Great Wall of India’ have been ruined with passage of time.
Kumbhalgarh has 7 fortified gateways. Aaret Pol is the entry gate of the fort with Halla Pol on the downward slope from entrance. Just after Halla Pol is Badshahi Bavdi, a stepwell that was built after the invasion of Shahbaz Khan in 1578, a general of Mughal Emperor Akbar to provide water to the troops. The next gate Hanuman Pol, is a double-story gate with octagonal bastions; named so for image of Hanuman carved on a stone in front of the gate, which was brought by Maharana Kumbha.
Ram Pol is the forts’ main entrance gate, with Vijay Pol in the eastern side of the fort being another. There are 5 more gates; namely the Bhairon Pol, Nimboo Pol, Chaugan Pol, Pagda Pol and Ganesh Pol built between Ram Pol and Badal Mahal, the main palace of the fort built on the highest point of the fort. Kumbha Palace located close to the Pagda Pol is a two-story building with a beautiful blue durbar hall. A corridor separates mardana (men’s) palace from zanana (women’s) palace. Besides Vedi Temple and Trikuta Temple, other important temples inside the fort are Ganesha Temple, Charbhuja Temple, Neel Kanth Mahadeva Temple, Mataji Temple or Kheda Devi Temple.
Other important temples are Mamadeo temple, aand Surya Mandir. There are 4 Jain Temples inside the fort; including Parsvanath Jain Temple built in 1513, Bawan Devi Temple, Juna Bhilwara Temple, and Pital Shah Jain Temple. To celebrate the cultural importance of the fort, Rajasthan Tourism Department organizes, a 3-day annual festival in remembrance of Maharana Kumbha and his passion for art and architecture. Various concerts and dance events are also held. Other events held during the festival include Heritage Fort Walk, tug-of war, turban tying, and mehendi.
Kumbhalgarh Fort is easily reachable by buses, private car or taxi from Udaipur city. Falna is the closest railway station and Udaipur is the closest airport. The fort is open to visitors from 9 AM to 6 PM on all 7 days a week. Entry fee to the fort is INR 10 for Indian tourists, and INR 100 for foreign tourists. A ‘Light and Sound’ Show is organized within the fort every evening. Tickets to ‘Light and Sound’ Show are priced at INR 100. The tourist can go on a guided tour of the fort, that takes around 2 hrs with help of a guide, who can be hired for a charge. Best time to visit the fort is during winter season between October to February when the weather is a lot cooler.
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