Ringing with one of the most romantic histories, the fort of Chittorgarh dominates the aura of the city. The beautifully carved Rana Kumbha's Palace is the highlight of the fort. The legend of jauhar committed by Rani Padmini, whose beauty drove Alauddin Khilji to lay a siege on the city, and other Rajput women to save themselves from being dishonored by enemy soldiers haunts the fort to this day.
Chittor faced three bloody sieges and all the three were accompanied by collective self-immolation of Rajput ladies and children. Built by Mauryans, Chittorgarh Fort was ruled by Rajputs, Gujaratis and Mughals for a long time. The elements of the distinctive cultures of the rulers are evident in the city to this day. Mirabai, the legendary devotee of Lord Krishna, spent many years at Chittorgarh.
Places to See
Built in 7th century by Mauryans, Chittorgarh Fort is one of the most formidable forts of India. Also known as the Water Fort of Chittaur, it has several tourist attractions, which include:
- Tower of Victory or Vijay Stambh
- Tower of Fame or Kirti Stambh
- Gaumukh Reservoir
- Rana Kumbha Palace
- Padmini Palace
- Meera Temple
- Kalika Mata Temple
- Fateh Prakash Palace
- Jain Temples
- Seven Gates of the Fort
Shopping
Indigenous crafts of Bassi village such as painted wooden toys (including animals, soldiers, deities, and people from all walls of life) and kavadh (miniature hinged altar that can be folded like a book) painted with scenes from epics are most popular buys at Chittaurgarh.
Where to Stay
Though Chittor has its share of budget and luxury hotels, the ones at Bassi and Bijaipur offer a more dazzling stay experience. We do recommend:
How to Reach Chittorgarh
Traveling to Agra is possible by rail, road, and air. Reaching Agra is easy because it is linked up with all the major Indian cities, with special trains and bus services from Delhi.
By Road: Chittorgarh is well connected to nearby cities by a fine network of roads and bus services. Regular buses are available to and from Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Banswara, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jalore, Kota, Indore, Pratapgarh, Ratlam, Sirohi, Nathdwara, Udaipur, and Tonk. Delhi is 585 km from Chittorgarh while Mt. Abu is 297 km from here.
By Rail: Direct trains connect Chittorgarh to major Indian cities and other tourist attractions in Rajasthan and nearby areas such as Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Secunderabad, Ahmedabad, Kota, Ajmer, Bundi, Jodhpur, and Indore. We recommend Chetak Express from Delhi and Meenakshi Express from Jaipur.
By Air: The nearest airport to Chittorgarh is Dabok at Udaipur, which offers regular flights to Delhi and Mumbai.
