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¤ 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.
¤ Fort Palaces
Rana Kumbha was the one who officially built Chittor,
and his palace is the oldest monument within the fort
walls. The palace was built from 1433-68 in plastered
stone, and the entrance is through Suraj Pol which
directly leads into a courtyard. On the right of Suraj
Pol is the Darikhana or Sabha (council chamber) behind
which lies a Ganesha temple and the zenana (living
quarters for women). A massive water reservoir is
located towards the left of Suraj Pol. Ruined houses
towards the south of the palace may have been used by
lesser nobles, or were probably used by palace
attendants. Below the central courtyard is a
subterranean chamber where Rani Padmini committed jauhar
with the rest of the women of Chittor when Alauddin
Khilji besieged the fort. But perhaps the most
remarkable feature of the palace is its splendid series
of canopied balconies. The complex also houses stables
for elephant and horses, but is now in ruins.
¤ Other Attractions
¤ 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.
Timings :
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Fridays.
¤ 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.
Towards the south of these two havelies is the three-storeyed
tower called Chonda house built in early 15th century,
and now in ruins. Chonda was the founder of the
Chondawat clan and gave up his throne on the insistence
of his father.
¤ Main Gate Ways To Fort
A limestone bridge supported by ten arches across the
Gambheri river leads into the fort. Nine of these arches
are pointed, and by some mishap one was built as a
curve. The road to Chittor is arduous and a kilometer
long, with seven imposing gateways forming defensive
entrances. Padal Pol the first gate, is where Bagh Singh
was cut down in the second siege by Bahadur Shah in
1535.
Here it must be remembered that gateways to a fort in
Rajasthan were no diminutive ones – they were massive
stone structures with reinforced doors to ward off
elephants and even cannon shots. The gates of Chittor
are of special architectural interest, for it was here
that for the first time that defense surpassed décor.
The arches are pointed, and the top of the gates are
notched parapets from where archers could shoot at their
tormentors.
None other than Emperor Akbar dedicates two of the seven
gates to Chittor’s brave defenders. Bhairon Pol was
where Jaimal fell by the Emperor’s bullet, and Patta
died at Ram Pol, the fort’s main gate which was built in
1459. It is crowned by two little chhatris (pavilions),
and the roof is supported by a corbeled arch. Each side
of the gate consists of a small hall. On returning to
Agra Akbar ordered the construction of statues of the
valiant warriors to commemorate their deaths. Cenotaphs
for both Jaimal and Patta were also built by Rajputs at
each gate. A statue of a Rajput warrior on horseback,
lance in hand, is Jaimal’s cenotaph, while another
colonnaded cenotaph lies nearby, dedicated to Raghudeva
of Mewar.
 The
eastern wall is entered through Suraj Pol (Sun Gate).
Hanuman Pol lies before Ganesh Pol, and then come two
gates joined together in a peculiar manner. The upper
arch of the Jorla (Joined Gate) is connected to the base
of Lakshman Pol, a feature never seen anywhere else in
India.
¤ Fort Temples
In the western side of the fort is an ancient Tulja
Bhawani temple in honour of goddess Tulja, held sacred
by the scribes of Chittor. Adjacent to this temple is an
open courtyard, the tope khana (cannon foundry) of
yester years where a few old cannons can still be seen.
¤ Naulakha Bhandar- Treasure
Store
The Naulakha bhandar (nine lakh treasury) built by Rana
Kumbha is a small citadel in itself, and it was here
that all the wealth of Chittor was hoarded. The bastion
once had lofty walls and towers to guard it, but now
lies in ruins. The Naulakha bhandar is also said to have
been the residence of Banbir, the usurper.
¤ Shringar Chaori Jain Temple
In northeastern corner there is a small domed temple
called the Shringar Chaori with detailed carvings of
gods and goddesses on the outside. This richly sculpted
Jain temple was built into the fort wall in 1448 in
honour of Shantinath, a Jain fordmaker.
The palace of the Ranas, built by Rana Raimal, is a
plain edifice with notched battlements, following the
style of original Rajput architecture devoid of any
Mughal influence. This palace was the home for the very
first rulers of Chittor, or that of the Moris from whom
Chittor was seized.
Within the courtyard surrounding the palace is another
temple, this one for Devji. Rana Sanga had a special
affinity for Devji, and on each of his forays outside
Chittor to engage the enemy he would first visit the
temple. On a victorious return, Sanga would once again
pay homage to the deity (see Chittor introduction).
¤ Mira Bai Temple
 Two
massive temples also lie within the fort. One was built
by Rana Kumbha and the other by Mira Bai, the
saint-poetess and Krishna’s devotee. The masonry for
these temples was brought from the ruins of ancient
shrines near Chittor. Rana Kumbha’s Vrij temple (1450AD)
is dedicated to Varah, the god with the body of a man
and the head of a boar. Near these temples are two kunds
or reservoirs, each measuring 125 feet in length, 50
feet across and 50 feet deep. However, they were not
meant to store water and were constructed for the
wedding of a Chittor princess to a prince of Gagron.
They were filled with oil and ghee (clarified butter)
which was served out to attendants and guests.
Near Mirabai’s temple is the cenotaph of Mirabai’s guru
Shri Rai Das. Inside the cenotaph is a statue depicting
five human bodies fused together with one head,
signifying that there are no caste differences and even
outcasts can reach out to god.
¤ Kallika Mata temple
Bappa Rawal built the Kallika Mata temple sometime
during the 8th century for Surya, the Sun god. Alauddin
Khilji destroyed it in the first sack of Chittor, but
Rana Hammir rebuilt it as a Kali temple in the 14th
century. The temple consists of five chambers, all
devoid of their original roofs. The walls of this temple
are plain but the cornices are decorated with lotus
symbols. The inner sanctum’s walls depict the Sun god
Surya in nichés surrounded by consorts and angels. The
moon god Chandra is also shown in sculptures in the
walls which rise up into a flat ceiling supported by
quadrangular pillars, also intricately carved and
bracketed at the top. The doorframe of the inner sanctum
has four ornamental bands with Surya forming the central
theme of its carvings. The entire frame is flanked by an
elaborate panel in which are carved figures of deities
around a main figure of the sun god. The temple still
retains the flavour of the Gupta style of architecture,
and an inscription within the edifice informs us that it
was built by king Manabhanga.
¤ Kumbhashyama temple
The Kumbhashyama temple is similar to the Kallika temple
but in is honour of the god Krishna. Simplicity is the
main theme, but nichés in the walls are filled with
diamonds and carry images of gods and goddesses as well
as the eight regents of Chittor. The upper walls are
decorated with a frieze of entwined loops. A major part
of the temple seems to have been restored, but the inner
chamber still retains its originality.
The 16th century Adbhutnath temple demonstrates a style
which emerged in the 10th century. Here,
images of gods tend to be differently portrayed than in
other temples. Heads are almost circular and the
statues’ limbs form a tubular shape, making the images
look like crude toys. The main image of Mahesha or Lord
Shiva is made of wood and is an unrefined depiction of
the Destroyer god. His face is flat and two more
adjoining faces are turned forward in an obvious display
of the lack of dimension.
¤ Brahma Temple
Rana Kumbha’s Brahma temple is not really that of the
Creator of the Universe, and is in honour of Kumbha’s
father, Mukul. Apparently Brahma was never worshipped
here, and the temple was only named after him since a
bust of Mukul stands in the centre of the solitary
chamber. Adjoining this temple is Charbagh, a garden of
cenotaphs where the ashes of each one of Chittor’s
rulers – from Bappa Rawal to Udai Singh II, the founder
of Udaipur – are kept.
¤ Mahasati
The Ranas of Chittor were cremated in the Mahasati, a
small terrace surrounded by stones marking satis (widows
burnt with the bodies of their husbands).
¤ Gaumukh
Beyond the Charbagh is Gaumukh, a perennial fountain
formed in the mouth of a `cow’. The `cow’ is actually a
cleft in a rock face through which water flows out into
a reservoir. Near the Gaumukh is the Rani Bindar tunnel
which leads into the subterranean chamber where Rani
Padmini committed jauhar during Alauddin Khilji’s
siege of Chittor.
Within the same complex is the Sammidheshwara temple in
which light enters from four different directions. The
temple walls are short and take the form of blind
balustrades. Small pillars support the roof on the
outside while columns support the dome of the inner
chamber. This central chamber is largely open on all
sides and its columns meet in arches in the upper
reaches.
¤ Towers of Glory
 The
most imposing monuments in Chittor are the dual towers
that stand as a grim reminder of the jaded grandeur of
Chittor. Vijaystambha or Victory Tower was erected by
Rana Kumbha from 1457-58 after he defeated the combined
armies of Malwa and Gujarat. The tower is 122 feet high
and its summit spans an area of more than 17 feet. Nine
storeys ascend into the sky from the 35 feet broad base
on a 42 feet broad platform. Each of the nine storeys
have doorways leading into colonnaded balconies.
Designed by an architect called Jaita in the Jain
revivalist style, the tower is built of quartz and
compact limestone abundantly found in Chittor. The
colonnaded top storey has a statue of a kanya (young
girl) surrounded by gopis (milkmaids) in dancing
postures playing various musical instruments. Black
marble tablets in this floor contain shlokas (verses)
tracing the genealogy of Chittor rulers. However, most
of the slabs have been defaced and only one is still in
its original condition. The fifth floor contains reliefs
of the builders of the tower, and a simple staircase
which leads right up to the top connects all the storeys.
¤ Kirtistambha
The secondary tower in Chittor is the huge Kirtistambha
(Tower of Fame) originally dedicated to Adinath, the
first Jain saint. 75 feet high and 39 feet wide at the
base, the Kirtistambha is also richly decorated with
Jain motifs. Similar to Vijaystambha, this tower is also
built of quartz, is seven storeys high with a chunkier
façade. A number of Jain inscriptions can be found
within and outside the tower, dating it to 896AD.
Mohair Margi
Mohair Margi is a little hill raised under orders from
Akbar during his siege of Chittor in 1567. The Mughal
army was engaged to raise a hill as high as the fort
walls so that they could fire cannons into Chittor. For
this purpose earth was excavated and dumped near the
walls. Legend has it that Akbar paid one gold mohur
(coin) for each basket of mud since the task meant
certain death. Eventually the mound did reach as high as
the fort walls and Akbar was able to seize Chittor.
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