The Second-Longest Continuous Wall on the Planet!
In the Rajsamand district near the City of lakes - Udaipur, Rajasthan is where this second-longest wall after The Great Wall of China is located.
Along with five other forts the ancient Kumbhalgarh Fort is included by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site under the group of Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
This fort is also known to be the birthplace of Maharana Pratap.
The History of Multiple Failed Sieges
The Fort remained almost unassailable to direct assault by the attackers.
- Ahmed Shah I (ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty) who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate attacked the fort in 1457 but found the effort ineffectual.
- Further attempts by Mahmud Khalji, a 15th-century sultan of the Malwa Sultanate. He attacked in 1458-59 and 1467 but he too found the efforts futile.
- In 1577, the general of Akbar the Great, Shahbaz Khan attacked the fort and after a siege of 6 months captured the fort.
- It was recaptured by Maharana Pratap (great-great-grandson of Rana Kumbha) in the year 1582.
- In 1615, the Mughal forces sent by Emperor Jahangir again gained control of the Mewar Kingdom.
- In the 19th century, the British took over the fort and then later on it was returned to the Udaipur State.
The Alluring Architecture
The fort which separates Mewar from Marwar is considered to be built half a millennium ago by the famous architect of the era “Mandan” who even chronicled his style of work in his text ‘Rajvallabh’.
Later, he dedicated the book to King Rana Kumbha who belonged to the Sisodia Rajput clan, best known for his eminent military career and supporter of art, music, and architecture.
This wall surrounding the ancient fort of Kumbhalgarh is observed as one of the best-kept secrets in India and possibly the world.
The wall built over 1,100 metres above the sea-level on the Aravalli range, extends over 36 kilometres (22 miles) outside the Fort, is 15 metres thick and masoned with thousands of stone bricks and decoratives along the top which brandished in the past and now is captivating to the tourists’ eyes. It protects the fort along with the 300 ancient temples built inside.
The wall has a striking resemblance to its cousin in China as it majestically snakes through the valleys and along the mountaintops.
The Gateways and Temples
The Fort has seven fortified gateways and over 70 temples both of Jain and Hindu.
The Gateways:
- Ariat Pol is the first and the southern gate of the fort, surrounded by forests. The Ganesh Temple is at the entrance from this gate.
- Hulla Pol also known as the Disturbance Pol because of the successful invasion of the fort by the Mughal Army in 1567. The tourists can witness the charming view of the surroundings from this gate.
- Nimbu Pol or the Lemon Gate is where the baby Uday Singh was taken by Panna Dhai because, after the death of his father Prithviraj, his uncles wanted to kill him.
- Hanuman Pol has an image of Lord Hanuman which was brought from Mandore in Marwar by Rana Kumbha.
- Bhairon Pol tourists can go to the top of the fort by way of this gate.
- Paghara Pol is the gate where the cavalry was gathered.
- Top Khana Pol or the Cannon gate is where there was a secret passage.
- Ram Pol this is just another gate from where the tourists can enter the fort.
The Temples:
1. Ganesh Temple
It was built during the reign of Rana Kumbha. It was constructed near the palaces for the royal people to easily visit and worship their deity.
2. Vedi Temple
Source: Tutorialspoint
Vedi temple is a Jain temple in octagonal shape with three storeys, situated near the Hanuman Pol. Its ceiling is supported by 36 pillars and has a dome at the top.
3. Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Image Source: Tutorialspoint
situated to the east of the Vedi Temple, it has a five feet tall Shiva Linga.
4. Parsvanath Temple
It was built by Nar Singh Pokhad. The statue of Parsvanath situated here has a height of three feet.
5. Bawan Devi Temple
It is named in such a way because it has 52 shrines in a single complex. It has only one gate and out of the 52 statues placed all around the wall, two are big and the rest are small.
And the fort consists of other temples like the Golerao group of temples, Mamadeo Temple, Pitalia Dev temple, etc.
This Architectural wonder is evidence of the architectural talents of that era.
Written By: Devangi Sharma
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