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Chittorgarh Fort The Colossal Walls
Standing on a rocky plateau on a 500 feet high hill, the 700 acre
fort went through three sieges, and each time Chittor turned out the
loser. But that did not mean that the fort was inferior to any other
in Rajasthan. It was just that that the Rajputs had a habit of
riding out to meet the enemy outside the safety of their walls
instead of allowing the enemy to launch the first assault. The first
time the fort was stormed in 1303AD, it was purely for matters of
the heart. Alauddin Khilji fell in love with Rani Padmini the moment
he heard of her and decided to take Chittor and subsequently Padmini.
He did get Chittor but Padmini was nothing more than ashes in a huge
jauhar (mass suicide by fire) which left 30,000 women burnt alive by
choice.
The second siege came 232 years later in 1535 from Muhammad Shah of
Gujarat, and this time it was outright war. Chittor fell again, and
13,000 women and children died in a different kind of jauhar. The
fortress was on the brink of being seized by Bahadur Shah and there
was no time to arrange for a bonfire. Gunpowder was brought out from
the magazines and laid out in excavations in the ground. A
tremendous blast took the lives of women and children this time.
The final assault was by Akbar in 1567, and it was fatal for Chittor.
The seven gates of Chittor were opened and 8,000 Rajputs rode out in
their saffron war robes once again to die at Mughal swords.
Tradition repeated itself within the walls of Chittor, and women and
children sallied forth into flames. When Akbar entered the fort, it
is said that there was not a living soul left inside. After this
final sack the backbone of Chittor was broken, and its ruler Rana
Udai Singh fled to lay the foundations of Udaipur. Chittor never
recovered and the fort was taken over by nature.
Attractions in Chittorgarh
Fateh Prakash
Near Kumbha’s palace is Fateh Prakash, the most modern building in
Chittor. Built in the early 20th century, the palace was the home
for Maharana Fateh Singh, Chittor’s ruler who died in 1930. A part
of the building has now been converted into a museum but the rest of
it is closed to visitors.
Kunwar Pade ka Mahal
was the palace of the prince of Chittor, and was built in 1450.
Interestingly, this palace incorporates for the first time in Rajput
architecture the use of ogee arches. These S-shaped arches later
became an essential part of Rajput architecture and were widely used
in palaces, step wells and temples. In the prince’s palace can be
seen some of the beautiful blue tiles that went into decorating most
of the palaces here. Prolific use of the ogee arch can also be seen
in Rana Ratan Singh’s palace built from 1527-32. Ratan Singh was
Padmini’s husband, and his palace is styled on Rana Kumbha’s royal
residence.
Rani Padmini’s Palace
is a compact three storeyed white building, but what is seen today
is a 19th century reconstruction of the original. The palace is
surrounded by water, and the inevitable chhatris (pavilions) crown
its roofs. This was perhaps the forerunner of the concept of
jagmahals (palaces surrounded by water), and it was from here that
Akbar carried off huge bronze gates and installed them in Agra.
Close by is Bhimlat kund, an artificial tank dedicated to the
strongest of the Pandava brother, Bhima (see Mahabharata).
Palaces of Jaimal and Patta
The palaces of Jaimal and Patta were the last two buildings to be
built in Chittor fort, and calling them palaces is really
misleading. Compared to other palaces in Rajasthan, they are small
and of not much architectural significance. Both these havelis
(houses) are built very frugally, taking into consideration that
they were constructed more as simple residences than splendid
palaces. Both lie in ruins now, and their facades are minimal and
hardly bear any resemblance to the palaces of Rana Kumbha or Padmini.
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