Life Through Aby's Lens: Kumbhalgarh : Second largest wall in the world

The famous Fort of Kumbhalgarh is situated in the southern part of Rajasthan and is located at about 157 km from Chittorgarh and 105 km from the western part of Udaipur. Kumbhalgarh is popular for being the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great warrior of Mewar. Kumbhalgarh, which is also known as Kumbhalmer is a Mewar fortress, located in the district of Rajsamand in the state of Rajasthan. The famous Bollywood movie "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" was shot in Kumbhalgarh Fort.

Kumbhalgarh was virtually inaccessible in earlier times and the Rana Kumbha of Mewar designed it keeping the defensive aspect of the fort in his mind. The fort designed by him was at a height of 3,500 feet above sea level, which is comfortable enough to provide clear views of the areas of Ajmer and Marwar.

Although Kumbhalgarh was built in the 15th century it was extended during the 19th century. The site of Kumbhalgarh was earlier a fort and was under the dynasty of Prince Samprati. He was the Jain descendant of the Mauryan emperors of India. The fort houses more than 360 temples, including 300 ancient Jain ones and the remaining are Hindu temples.

Things to do in Kumbhalgarh

Kumbhalgarh Fort is constructed on a hilltop 1100 meters high. It is the most important and popular fort in Mewar after Chittorgarh.

The perimeter walls of the fort sprawl across 36 km, making it the third longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China and the Great Wall of Gorgan in Iran. Located 82 km from Udaipur in the northwestern part, the fort was under occupation until the 19th century, after which it was opened to the public as a museum.

Other than the ancient fort, the Wildlife Sanctuary of Kumbhalgarh is also popular. It covers a land area of 57778 square km and consists of different wild animals and birds. The religious places here include the temple of Muchchal Mahavir, which is popular for artistically carved statues, and the Jain temple of Ranakpur that was built in the year 1438.

Some of the ancient royal castles here have been converted into heritage sites and hotels like the popular Ghanerao Royal Castle. Haldighati is another popular attraction for being the venue of the most famous historical battle which I will be sharing in my next blog. Apart from these ancient sites, Lake Rajsamand is also a major tourist attraction.

Since I was traveling from Chittorgarh, I took a State Government bus to reach the base town near the Fort.

Always try to sit along the driver to know more about the locality in advance

I took a Jeep from the town to reach the Fort top. The Jeep took Rs. 400 Per Person to and fro journey.

Kumbhalgarh is easily accessible from the cities of Udaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, and Pushkar and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India. Udaipur airport at a distance of 84 km serves as the closest airport to Kumbhalgarh. Tourists can hire taxis from Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh, which costs about Rs 1600. There are regular flights from Udaipur to Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur. The nearest Railway Station for Kumbhalgarh Fort is Phalna which is well connected to Mumbai, Ajmer, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Jodhpur.

Rajasthan State Government Roadways ordinary and deluxe buses ply regularly between Kumbhalghar and Udaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, and Pushkar.

Accommodation options in Kumbhalgarh

Tourists in Kumbhalgarh can avail various accommodation options, ranging from budget hotels to 5-star hotels. Tourists can opt for forts converted into heritage hotels to stay in Kumbhalgarh which one can see on the way to the Fort.