Rajasthan Travels ::
Rajasthan Fort & Palaces ::
Chittodgarh Fort, Chittodgarh
Chittodgarh Fort, Chittodgarh
Chittodgarh Fort is known for its heroic history. The stories of the valiant Rajput men and women, who sacrificed their lives in the defense of their honor and this grand fort, live on in the ambience of this impressive structure in Chittodgarh.
The Chittodgarh Fort is situated on an area of 280 hectares, on the summit of a hill that rises to a height of 180 meters. The Chittodgarh Fort was besieged thrice and suffered devastation losses. The first attack was by Allaudin Khilji in 1303. He is believed to have fallen in love with the beautiful Rani Padmini and sought to possess her
As the siege proceeded the defenders realized they could not hold out. The men armed themselves and rode out to seek death on the battlefield, while Rani Padmini and the women immolated themselves in the Rajput tradition of Jauhar. The next siege took place in 1533 when Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked Chittodgarh Fort. The last siege was by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1567. Each of these sieges caused tremendous loss of life among the brave defenders of Chittodgarh.
Some of the structures worth seeing in the Chittodgarh Fort are the Fateh Prakash Palace, the Rani Padmini Palace and the Rana Kumbha Palace. The Vijay Stambha or Tower of Victory, a popular landmark in Chittodgarh Fort, is a grand 122-feet high structure. It was built by Rana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over Sultan Muhammad Khilji of Malwa.
