Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Kumbhalgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan- rangeelo rajasathan- म्हारों रंग-रंगीलों राजस्थान .....!!


Kumbhalgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan- rangeelo rajasathan- म्हारों रंग-रंगीलों राजस्थान .....!!

राजस्थान की आन बान शान हमारा कुम्भलगढ़ का किला .
देखोगे तो देखते रह जाओगे ..आँखे खुली की खुली रह जायेगी
rangeelo rajasathan- म्हारों रंग-रंगीलों राजस्थान .....!!

Built on a hilltop 1100 metres in altitude, Kumbhalgarh fort has perimeter walls that extend 36 kilometres in length, which makes it the third longest in the world after the Great Wall of China and theGreat Wall of Gorgan in Iran.

Maharana Kumbha used to burn massive lamps that consumed fifty kgs of Ghee and a hundred kgs of cotton to provide light for the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley.

Beautiful pic mam ,kahate hen ki kumbhalgarh ka ye qeela jise Kataar garh bhi kahate hen itni uchai pr bana he ki dekhe wale ke sir ki topi bhi gir jati he..Really tihs is a Wonder , which maid by Maharana KUMBHA..
Dharti Dhora Ri Na Desh Ma Padharo Mhare Desh. Viro Ni Dharti pe Tamaro Swagat Hai. Ye Dharti Dhora ri.................... Or Nahi Kahi Dunia Me Esase Badhkar Sundar. Yaha Ki MAti Me Aapko Veer rus ka Abhas Hoga.


One of the last very few travel destinations in India, amid peaceful jungle, pristine beauty as it was centuries ago!!

I visited Kumbhalgarh fort on my trip to India and I was amazed to see the beauty and serenity of the place. I decided to put this site together to help those who want to enjoy and appreciate natural and historical places like Kumbhalgarh fort in Rajasthan and help local economy too. I would be updating this site with more information in terms of "local driving directions", do's and don'ts and so on...so check it out again soon!!!

Kumbhalgarh - Location
Its location had always been Kumbhalgarh's greatest advantage. Because it was virtually inaccessible in the 15th century, Rana Kumbha of Mewar built this great defensive fortress on a 3,500 feet (1,100 meters) high hill overlooking the approaches from Ajmer and Marwar. Today, precisely because it is within easy reach of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Pushkar-yet off the well trodden tourist routes-Kumbhalgarh is an attractive destination.
Kumbhalgarh is very close to Udaipur, Rajasthan where Palace on Wheels also takes stop.

Kumbhalgarh - History
In Kumbha's time the kingdom of Mewar spread from Ranthambore to Gwalior, including vast tracts of present-day Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Mewar's rulers became patrons of all that was best in Indian martial and fine arts, architecture, and learning. Of the 84 fortresses defending Mewar, 32 were designed and built by Rana Kumbha. Of these, Kumbhalgarh with its 36-kilometer long wall and soaring towers is the most impressive. Kumbhalgarh stands on the site of an ancient citadel dating back to the second century AD belonging to a Jain descendant of India's Mauryan emperors. It defined the boundaries between Mewar and Marwar and became a refuge for Mewar's rulers in times of strife. Its steel gray ramparts encircle the fertile Shero Mallah Valley, with ancient monuments cenotaphs, ponds and flourishing farms. Kumbhalgarh fell only once in its history, to the combined forces of Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, and Raja Udai Singh of Amber, and Raja Udai Singh of Marwar.

Kumbhalgarh - Tourist Attractions

A priest is still employed by the present Maharana to care for the shrines of his ancestors. And twice a day the Pandit's family makes the stiff uphill climb to the castle to light the sacred lamps before vermilion-daubed images of Hanuman, Chamunda, and Ekling. There is an octagonal room in which Rana Pratap was born, apart from, the hall in which his grandson Prince Karan entertained the future Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, the beacon tower from which a flame summoned Mewar's chieftains to war. The austere chambers, the vast reservoirs kept full by elephant relays, the simple garden court for the royal ladies, the easily defendable narrow staircases all declared that this was primarily a warrior's hideout, not a palace for princely pomp and show.
The imaginatively designed Aohdi nearby belongs to a descendant of one of those great warrior families, the Rathores of Ghanerao, who enjoyed the distinction of having the only hereditary seat among the premier nobles of both Mewar and Marwar. The Aohdi's castle-type cottages provide comfort and privacy for those seeking a peaceful retreat, plus a base for horse safari and trekking enthusiasts.

Horse lovers and adventure seekers can enjoy the thrill of riding and camping in the Reserve Forest around Kumbhalgarh. Each group is accompanied by experienced sawars. Horses, tents, food and fodder are provided by the Aohdin on prior notice at a very reasonable cost compared to a hacking holiday in Europe or America.

A hazardous, barely jeepable track takes you to the 586 square kilometer Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. The main attraction here would be panther, sloth bear, wild boar, four-horned antelope or crocodiles, "scientifically bred" in the lake.

The Crocodile Farm has a guesthouse belonging to the Forest Department and overnight stays are possible. Good forest cover, jungle berries, fruits and nuts, water grasses, algae, and fish provide sustenance for thousands of flamingoes, sarus cranes, spoonbills, painted storks, cormorants, purple heron, egrets, duck, and rosy pelican in winter. One also finds plenty of chakor partridge, crow pheasants, jungle warblers, golden orioles, gray jungle fowl, and the usual peacocks; parrots, pigeons, and doves.

Kumbhalgarh - Places Nearby

Ranakpur Jain Temples

The famous Ranakpur temples are just 50 kilometers from Kumbhalgarh by the scenic route through Vanpura and Saira.

Begun in 1438 by Rana Kumbha, Ranakpur became a strangely tranquil meditation center in a frequently war ravaged land. It also became a magnificent sculpture museum to which wealthy Jain merchants and ministers kept adding shrines and statues. The central Chaumukha Temple is dedicated to the venerated Tirthankara Adinath. With its 29 halls and 1,444 distinctly different carved pillars, this is an astounding monument. Two temples dedicated to the Jain saints, Parasnath and Neminath have beautiful erotic carvings very similar to those which have made Khajuraho famous. And truly worth visiting is the much earlier, probably 6th century, Sun Temple close by, which has polygonal walls richly embellished with warriors, horses, and booted solar deities driving splendid chariots.

Ghanerao

Ghanerao is the place where Thakur Sajjan Singhji and his gracious wife have recreated a charming old-world ambience by opening this castle constructed in 1603 to paying guests. The genuine warmth of his greeting as he strode across the courtyard towards us, the bright wall frescoes, hunting trophies, turbaned retainers, peeing maids, carved jharokhas, drawing rooms full of colored windows and chandeliers, Rajput miniatures, ostrich eggs hand printed by the owner in Mayo College, all those old photographs

Parshuram temple

If you want to go back further in past in history then this is a must visit place. A secluded very inconveniently located ancient cave where 'Rishi' parshuram did his sadhna, from era of Ram and Sita. It has almost 500 steps which take you down to the cave. You would definitely get moved by the atomosphere inside the cave. The priest would tell you lot of history along with the formations which are called 'Kamdhenu' if you donate meager 100 Rs, which indeed is a big help for people over there to maintain and sustain themselves in such adverse geographical location.

Hotels at Kumbhalgarh FortRatnadeep hotel
Hotel Ratnadeep Category : Economy


Village-Kelwara (Kumbhalgarh), Dist. Rajasamand
Access : Udaipur 72 km, Nathdwara 45 km, Ranakpur via Saira 55 km, Kumbhalgarh 5 km, Haldighati 50 km, Charbhujaji 25 km
No. of Rooms : 14
FIT Tariff (In Rs.) European Plan Bases (Room Only):
Single Double
Standard Room 400/- 500/-
Deluxe Room 750/- 1000/-
Dormitory 100/-


Special Feature :Best available Budget Hotel of Kumbhalgarh.


Aodhi Hotel
Aodhi Hotel Category : Resort

Kumbhalgarh, P.O. Kelwara, Distt. Raj Samand
Access : Udaipur 78 km, Haldighati 50 km, Nathdwara 60 km, Ranakpur via Saira 53 km, Kumbhalgarh fort 2 kms
No. of Rooms : 26
FIT Tariff (In Rs.) European Plan Basis (Room Only) :
Single Double
Deluxe Room 1999/- 3300/-
Deluxe Suite - 5500/-



Taxes:As applicable
Special Feature : This hotel offers unpolluted greenery harmonies. Tracking tour in the Arawalli-Hills ranges. Fabulous views, very quiet, friendly staff, swimming pool. Horse riding, good restaurant, trekking, tribal village tours. HRH Group of Hotels.



Directions

One of the last very few travel destinations in India, amid peaceful jungle, pristine beauty as it was centuries ago!!


Kumbhalgarh - How to Reach(North of Udaipur,East of Jodhpur)

By Air
Nearest airport Udaipur (84 kilometers), and Jodhpur (102 kilometers). Follow the directions 'By Road' after reaching Udaipur/Jodhpur.

By Rail

Phalna is the nearest junction through which trains from Mumbai. Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Ajmer pass. I recommend coming to Udaipur or Jodhpur first and then drive a 4 wheeler or 2 wheeler from these cities to Kumbhalgarh fort.

By Road

Many Rajasthan Roadways passenger and deluxe buses pass through Kumbhalgarh from Ajmer, Pushkar, Udaipur, and Jodhpur. If you are driving yourself, following directions may come handy:

From Udaipur: Kumbhalgarh sanctuary is located on Udaipur - Ranakpur highway. Ranakpur is one of Jain religions 'teerth' and even if you do not follow Jainism, its a temple worth a visit. You will be pleasantly amazed looking at the sculpting, carving with magnificent details on white marble. These carvings cover every inch of the temple, from pillars, to walls to corridors to ceiling. When you start from Udaipur, you want to drive to North -West of Udaipur to get to Kumbhalgarh. If you are staying in city then major landmarks you would pass through are chetak circle, sukhadia circle and fatehpura. You want to drive towards a place called 'iswal'. Iswal is about 11 kms from Udaipur. On Iswal make a right turn toward Kumbhalgarh sanctuary. Follow the directions on the road. Please do note, road is not good all the way and be careful of stray buffalos, cattle and other domestic foul on the road. In my experience, never once these animals heed to your vehicle horn so do not count on honking in the hope animals will give you way, you would definitely want to slow down and given them way or run a risk of running your vehicle in them which may not only ruin the fun of the trip but also attract some crowd from nearby villages harassing you for your careless driving, you may also be asked to provide 'compensation' the the cattle owner. Hey, don't forget to take a stop at so many en route sugar cane fields and munch on them, IT IS FUN!! Once you are in Kumbhalgarh, do not forget to visit Parshuram temple which is another 30 minutes drive from Kumbhalgarh fort, its a true test of your leg muscles, a small cave in which temple is located is serene, you may want to close your eyes and imagine how this place would have been thousands of years ago when Parshuram used to meditate in that place!

Keep checking this website,time permitting, I will update with more information here soon. If there is any specific information that you are looking for and could not find on this site then please do write to me at support@kumbhalgarh.com I put this site together solely for the purpose of benefiting tourists who might be interested in visiting cultural capital of India, Rajasthan's one of the oldest yet very beautiful fort and sanctuary. Your feedback will only help improve this site and provide more useful information for tourists and avid travelers to this place. In other way, it also helps local economy of the place which is very key to keeping this place in its pristine beauty in today's world.



The Aodhi Hotel Kumbhalgarh
This is an unverified listing
Kelwara Road Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan 313325
02954 242 341 ‎
DirectionsSearch nearbySave to...more▼
9 reviews‎
Your rating:


Details
Hotel Chain‎: No chain
Room Facilities‎: air conditioning‎, balcony/terrace‎, bathrobes‎, coffee/tea maker‎, daily newspaper‎, desk‎, ...
Distance To Airport‎: 110 km
Number Of Rooms‎: 26
Price From‎: 111.0000
Distance From City Center‎: 5 km
agoda.com
More details »

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Search This Blog