Jaisalmer fort was built in 1156 and is the second oldest in Rajasthan.
Known as SONAR QUILA or the Golden fort, rising from the sand , the mega structure merges with the golden hues of the desert ambience and the setting suns in its most colourful shades gives it a fairy tale look
Two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by an imposing crenellated sandstone wall 30 feet high, it has 99 bastion, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647. Wells within the fort still provide a regular source of water.
Many tourists make it to this exotic town where camel safaris are popular as is the annual desert festival in February.
The Havelis or mansions built by the wealthy merchants in the 19th century are famed for their exquisitely carved sandstone facades.
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It has 99 bastions around its circumference, some of which still bear canons. |
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Attractions within the fort walls are a group of beautifully carved Jain temples built between the 12th and 15th century. |
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Gyan Bhandar, the library containing Jain manuscripts, paintings and astrological charts is also in the temple complex. |
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The city's real showpieces are its Havelis - beautiful mansions built by wealthy merchants),the Patwon Ki Haveli, most prominent, is elaborate and magnificent of all with exquisitively carved pillars and extensive corridors and chambers. |
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Salim Singh ki Haveli, is 300 years old of Jaisalmer’s Prime Minster to Maharaja Rawal Gaj Singh and named after him, with beautiful blue cupola roof and superbly carved brackets in the form of peacocks. Built in yellow stone it is covered with intricate carvings and has an elaborate projecting balcony on the top storey. |
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Nathmal ki Haveli built in the 19 th century was also house to the prime minister. Yellow sandtone elephants guard the building, and even the front door is a work of art. |
It is an unassailable fortress, which has never been conquered. Built in 1593 A.D. by Raja Rai Singh, one of the most distinguished generals in the army of Emperor Akbar, the fort is a formidable structure encircled by a moat.
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The Suraj Pol, or Sun Gate, is the main entrance to the fort. The palaces within the fort are on the southern side and make a picturesque ensemble of countryards, balconies, kiosks, towers and windows. A major superb quality of the stone carvimg - it rivals the best anywhere in the world. |
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The Chandra Mahal, or Moon Palace, with paintings, mirrors and carved marble panels. The Phool Mahal, or Flower Palace, is also decorated with glass and mirrors. |
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The Karan Mahal was built to commemorate a notable victory over the Mughal Aurangzeb. |
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The Durga Niwas is a beautifully painted courtyard while the Ganga Niwas, another large courtyard, has a finely carved red sandstone front. Har Mandir is the royal temple, dedicated to Shiva. |
Perched on a 150 m high hill its sprawl is the most formidable and magnificent fort in Rajasthan. Rao Jodha founded it in 1459 but subsequent rulers of Jodhpur have also added to it over the centuries. There are seven gates, which include Jayapol meaning victory built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. Fattehpol also meaning victory gate was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh to mark the defeat of Mughals.
And Lohapol meaning iron gate has a moving memorabilia on palm print of the queens of Maharaja Man Singh.
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On the walls of Lohapol or Iron gate, sixth of the seven gates designed to hinder the ascent of the enemy are the handprints, the sati marks of Maharaja Man Singh's widow who voluntarily threw themselves on his pyre following the Rajput code of Honour in 1843, and in defiance of the law passed against Sati. |
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Inside the fort the series of Palaces having evocative names like Moti Mahal or Pearl Palace, The Sukh Mahal or Pleasure palace and The Phool Mahal or Flower Palace. |
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They house a fine collection of miniature paintings, folk music instruments, Rajput armoury, palanquins etc. |
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They are beautifully painted and decorated and have carved latticework windows of Red sandstone. It is one of the best palace museums in Rajasthan. |
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The Chamunda temple dedicated to Goddess Durga stands at the southern end of the fort. |
Located 64 kms north of Udaipur in the wilderness, Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the A ravali Ranges the fort was built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. Because of its inaccessibility and hostile topography the fort had remained un-conquered. It also served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strife. The fort also served as refuge to the baby king Udai of Mewar. It is also of sentimental significance as it is the birthplace of Mewar's legendary King Maharana Partap.
The fort is self-contained and has within its amalgam almost everything to withstand a long siege. The fort fell only once that too to the combined armies of Mughal and of Amber for scarcity of drinking water. Many magnificent palaces an array of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The fort also offers a superb birds view of the surroundings. The fort's thick wall stretches some 36 kms and is wide enough to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century. The fort's large compound has very interesting ruins and the walk around it can be very rewarding.
Bundi is the undiscovered splendour, 36 Kms from Kota ruled by the Hada Chauhans. First destination is HADOTI. Set in a narrow inclining gorge. The palaces and forts have fairy tale quality about them. Isolated and independent, this picturesque location has much to offer. Rajput architecture shines and in the intricately carved brackets, pillars etc. Interesting places are Diwan-e- aam, Hati Pol, and Naubat Khana.
Lohagarh fort, or the Iron fort was built in the early 18th century and took its name from its supposedly impregnable defences, which are said to be inspired by a description given in the epic, Ramayana. Maharaja Suraj Mal, the fort's constructor and founder of Bharatpur, built two towers within the ramparts, the Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj, to commemorate his victories over the Mughals and the British. The fort was encircled and protected by deep moats, and according to a legend would fall "only when a crocodile swalled up all the water of the moat". The gate of the Lohagarh has an interesting history behind it. It originally belonged to the fort of Chittorgarh but was carried away by Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi. In the late 17th century it was brought back in triumph by the victorious Jat armies from the imperial capital of Delhi to Bharatpur
Nahargarh Fort is the first three forts built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1734. Situated 6 km North West of City Palace, it provides some stunning views of Jaipur down below the Man Sagar Lake. Many of the old structures within the fort are in bad condition, except the one added by Sawai Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II
This impressive fort anchorage many legends and three kings have added their stamp at different times to the structures within the fort. In the midst of this lake, is a palatial duck blind, which was used for shooting parties by the erstwhile royal family. A royal retreat for the Maharanis, it was also used as a personal treasury for many years.
The road from Amber through the hills can be traveled by jeep or by rickshaw zigzagging for a distance of one and a half kilometres before it straightens out to reveal the approach to Jaipur
The Ranthambore Fort is located at the top of a rocky outcrop in the middle of the forest, which almost literally marks the meeting of the Aravali and Vindhya hills ranges. The fort is huge and covers an area of approximately 7 kilometers in circumference. It is one of the oldest forts in the country and is said to have been built in 944 AD a Chauhan warrior.
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The surrounding jungles which now form the Ranthambore National Park. |
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A trip to the fort is a thrilling experience. The first thing that hits you is the breathtaking view in every direction. The interiors of the fort are also stunning. The acoustics of the Hammir court, where a whisper can be heard at the other end of the building, is only one of the many marvels one witnesses here.
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The "Gupt Ganga" is another marvel which is a series of steps cut into rock until they arrive at a perennial stream. |
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For the religious minded, the fort is an absolute must visit. The entire fort is dotted with beautiful temples and also a mosque. The most famous of these being the temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. It is said that devotees actually send in letters to the God at this temple, which are brought up daily by the local postman.
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With a pair of good binoculars, it is definite that you would be able to spot any tiger coming out to the lake waters below. A sight that is different but equally awesome as seeing a tiger up close. The fort also possesses an excellent population of birds, resident and migratory. |
Neemrana Fort is 122 kms from Delhi and is situated on a majestic plateau in the Aravalli ranges. Constructed in 1464 A.D. by Rao Rajdeo, it is, perhaps the oldest heritage resort in India. the property covers 25 acres of land and the palace span five levels of construction which cut into the hill. Along the southern ramparts, the recently laid hanging garden, add to the rugged beauty of this fort-palace.
Restored painstakingly to its former glory, the fort has some beautiful suites furnished in an electric mixture of traditional Indian and colonial furnitures. Most of these suites and rooms have their own private balconies and terraces, which offer panoramic vistas. The bathrooms too look down on the country below. Some interesting rooms here are Hawa Mahal, Barsat Mahal, Mata Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, and Surya Mahal. The Panch Mahal restaurant is an elegantly furnished room serving continental cuisine as well as traditional Rajasthani Meals.
Special Feature: The eleven-storey stepwell built in the 18th century, located very close to the palace, is an architectural marvel. It has arched passages running along three sides of the well.
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