Chittaurgarh Fort + information

Chittaurgarh Fort

The Chittaurgarh Fort is a living testimony to the bravery of the great Rajput rulers who laid down their life fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission.

The fort is located on a hill that dominates the modern township of Chittor. It is a fine example of the Rajput style of architecture. The fort of Chittaurgarh can be singled out for it's glorious history and it's stories of heroism.

Countless tales of this rugged fort and the battles fought here by it's legendary heroes fill the pages of history books. All of the Chittaur's attractions are within the fort. There are 7 gateways to the main gate, the Rampol.

On the climb, there are two chhatris, memorials marking spots where Jaimal and Kalla, heroes of the 1568 seige, fell during the struggle against Akbar. There's a deer park at the southern end. One can have the fine view over the town from the fort. Legend has it that it was because of the beautiful Padmini that Chittaurgarh was sacked the first time.

When Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji, the ruler of Delhi, heard of Padmini's beauty, he requested Rana Rattan Singh (her husband) for a glimpse of the queen.

However, the Sultan was permitted to see only the reflection of the queen from a water tank that overlooked the palace. Ala-ud-din is said to have been so carried away by Padmini's beauty that he attacked Chittor in order to possess her. This led to the first bitter and bloody siege of the Chittaurgarh fort and the subsequent mass suicide.

The fort fell more than once and each time the inhabitants fought literally to the last man and the women committed Jowhar, or mass immolation, to escape the ignominy of capture.

The most famous instance, which is now a part of folklore, occurred in 1303 when the legendary Rajput beauty, Rani Padmini committed Jowhar with thousands of womenfolk to escape dishonor at the hands of the soldiers of Allaudin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi.