- Type
- Fortress
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 24.8872°, 74.6469°
History
Tradition credits the founding of the fortress in the 7th century to Chitrangada of the Mori clan, and in the 8th century (traditionally in 728 or 734) it is said to have been taken by Bappa Rawal, ancestor of the rulers of Mewar, although some historians doubt this account. The fort was the capital of Mewar for some eight centuries and endured three great sieges: by Sultan Alauddin Khalji of Delhi in 1303, by Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1535 and by Emperor Akbar in 1568. According to tradition, each time the women committed ritual self-immolation (jauhar) and the men rode out to a last battle. In the 15th century Rana Kumbha strengthened the fort with seven gates and raised the Tower of Victory here. After the defeat of 1568 the capital moved to Udaipur, and in 2013 the fort was inscribed on the UNESCO list.
What to see
A winding road leads up to the fort through seven gates. On the plateau lie the ruins of palaces, including Rana Kumbha's palace and Padmini's palace beside a pool, many temples, among them one linked to the poet Mirabai, and water reservoirs. The most striking sights are the carved nine-storey Tower of Victory (Vijay Stambh) and the older Jain Tower of Fame (Kirti Stambh).
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q3695769
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