Hill Forts on Visit Karma

Chittorgarh Fort: Rajasthan and India's Largest Living Fort

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Chittorgarh Fort — “an imposing structure built and ravaged over centuries,” as the video puts it — sits 180 meters above Chittorgarh city, its temples, palaces, and towers spread across almost 700 acres. The video sums up its past in one line: “the history is dominated by battles between Rajputs and generations of Mughals.” But it’s not a museum piece: it’s a thriving, active fort, and a must-visit on a tour to Rajasthan.

Getting there: leave the car, take a rickshaw

A roughly 1km road winds its way up from town to the fort. We left our car at the bottom and took a rickshaw up — the practical way to do it.

On the way up you pass through a series of gates until you get to Ram Pole — the fort’s old defensive layers still very much intact.

Timing note from the video: they visited during the August 15th week and it was “extremely busy” — plan around Indian holiday weeks if you can.

Rana Kumbha’s temples and the Vijay Stambha

Most of the fort’s intact structures date from the time of Rana Kumbha — the temple plazas are busy with visitors and dense with carved stone. You’ll likely arrive at the Meera Bai temple first, dedicated to Meera Bai’s worship of Lord Krishna.

The standout is the Vijay Stambha, the Tower of Victory — “the Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory) stands tall,” nine stories of it.

Sight-see alongside the monkeys

Fair warning, straight from the video: “get ready to sight-see alongside monkeys!” They own the carved gateways as much as the visitors do.

Take time with the carving work — the shikharas and walls are dense with ornament, “such gorgeous architecture — 500+ years old.” And per the video, don’t miss the Neelkanth Mahadev temple for more of the ornate architecture.

Padmini’s Palace and Bhimlat Kund

Padmini’s Palace stands by the water — “a shadow of its former glory,” in the video’s words, but the setting by the lotus pond is lovely.

Nearby, Bhimlat Kund — the pond with a small Shiv mandir — draws some adventurous diving, right off the kund’s edge.

The back side: Kirti Stambha and the views

Kirti Stambha stands on the back side of the fort — the road there runs green and quiet, a contrast to the busy temple plazas.

The fort rewards its viewpoints: it overlooks the city — “the rains make the city views more appealing” — and from the other side, Suraj Pole faces the valley, with Fateh Prakash Palace in view and scenic farmland stretching till the eyes can see.

Wrapping up

A lush green fort complex full of temples and palaces overlooking the city — a thriving, active fort, and a must-visit on a tour to Rajasthan. Bonus find: Udaipur’s Maharana Pratap Smarak has a scale replica of the whole fort — a nice way to grasp the full 700-acre sprawl in one look.

Amer Fort Jaipur: UNESCO World Heritage Hill Fort (and Jaigarh Fort)

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Amer Fort — also spelled Amber Fort — sits just north of Jaipur and is one of the hill forts of Rajasthan on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The video’s verdict is blunt: “Amer is a must-do on a Rajasthan itinerary.” We’d agree. Here’s how the day goes.

Getting there: jeep up from the market

The easiest plan, straight from the video: park at the Rajasthan Govt Market and take a jeep up to the fort for Rs 550. On the way up, stop at Panna Meena ka Kund —

— a stepwell that the video says served as the queen’s private pool. And “consider hiring a guide for Rs 400 along with the jeep” — money well spent at a place with this much layered history. The jeep takes you up the cobblestone path to the entrance.

A quick history of the fort

The video gives the capsule version: the fort was built after the Rajputs’ victory over the Meenas, and “the fort was expanded over the decades.” There’s plenty of fusion between Rajput and Mughal architecture throughout. Eventually the capital was moved from Amer to Jaipur — and Sawai Jai Singh II later built Jaigarh Fort on the hill overlooking Amer, which we’ll get to at the end.

Inside: courtyards, Diwan-i-Khaas, Sheesh Mahal

Have the guide get your tickets from the courtyard, then head in to see the splendor. First stop: the Diwan-i-Khaas.

From there it’s on to the main palace entrance and the Sheesh Mahal — the Hall of Mirrors — with its “carved Belgian mirrors.”

The mirror inlay work is astonishing up close — thousands of tiny pieces set into plaster, throwing light around even the dimmest rooms.

The gardens and Maota Lake below

Outside, the Man Singh Palace courtyard has a manicured charbagh-style garden worth a slow walk.

And from the palace’s colonnaded terraces you get the views of the lake below — Maota Lake, with the Kesar Kyari (saffron garden) laid out in its neat geometric beds at the foot of the hill.

Lunch at 1135 AD

For lunch there’s a fancy restaurant called 1135 AD, set inside the fort complex — the video says it’s often booked by VIPs and celebrities, and there are lots of options, traditional Rajasthani included.

The order suggestion from the video: “try the gatte ka saag and ker saangri.”

The evening sound and light show

Stay into the evening and get tickets to the sound and light show at the fort. There are English and Hindi versions available, and they narrate the history over the years as the fort walls are lit up in shifting colors.

Jaigarh Fort and the Jaivana cannon

Don’t skip the second half of the day: there’s a road going up to Jaigarh Fort, and you can drive all the way inside to the top. The marvelous Aravalli views alone justify it —

— and from this vantage point you can see Jal Mahal, Jaipur city, and Amer all in one sweep.

The Jaivana cannon on display at Jaigarh is the star exhibit up here — a massive old cannon under its shelter, a reminder that Jaigarh was the military stronghold watching over Amer.

Practical wrap-up: jeep for Rs 550 from the Rajasthan Govt Market, guide for Rs 400, tickets from the courtyard, lunch at 1135 AD, and the sound and light show in the evening if you can stay. Two forts, one lake, and a stepwell — it’s a full day, and worth every minute.

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur: Rajasthan's Majestic Hill Fort

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Jodhpur, Rajasthan — the Blue City — sits in the shadow of one of India’s great hill forts. Mehrangarh Fort looms on its rocky hill above a sea of blue-painted houses, and as the video’s own caption puts it: the fort is on a hill surrounded by the blue city.

An imposing 15th-century structure

The opening aerial sets the tone — the video calls it “an imposing structure built in the 15th century,” and from the drone footage you can see why: thick ramparts gripping the ridgeline, the city spilling out in every direction below.

The approach winds up past the parking areas at the base of the hill — from here the scale of the fortifications really hits you.

The entrance

Inside, the entrance gate is framed by weathered frescoes, with a steady stream of visitors passing through the arched doorway — the fort is clearly a working attraction, not a quiet ruin.

Mesmerizing views from the ramparts

Up on the rooftop terrace, old cannons still point out over the plains — and the views live up to the video’s caption: “impressive structure with mesmerizing views.” On a clear day you can trace the whole city and the surrounding countryside from the parapets.

Inside the palace: Hall of Mirrors

The interiors are where the fort really shows off. The Hall of Mirrors is a chamber of mirrored panels and intricate inlay framing arched windows and doorways — small by palace standards, but dense with detail.

The palace halls are richly decorated — carved woodwork, painted ceilings, and tall stained-glass windows that throw colored light across the stone floors.

Alhambra-like architectural intricacy

The palace courtyard is the standout: layered balconies, carved stone screens, and arched colonnades stacked several stories high. The video’s comparison says it best — it “reminds one of Granada’s Alhambra,” and the title calls out the Alhambra-like architectural intricacy outright. If you’ve been to southern Spain, the echo is unmistakable.

The Blue City below

From the town, the fort dominates the skyline — a sheer wall of stone rising over the rooftops. And the video’s parting note is worth heeding: “Jodhpur’s a colorful town with terrific food” — plan to eat well after the climb.

Wrapping up

Mehrangarh is that rare fort that delivers on both halves of the promise: the imposing 15th-century military architecture on the outside, and genuinely intricate palace interiors — Hall of Mirrors, stained-glass halls, Alhambra-echoing courtyards — on the inside. Give it half a day, wear good walking shoes, and save your appetite for Jodhpur afterward.

Kumbhalgarh Fort: UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Longest Wall After China

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Kumbhalgarh Fort, in the Mewar region of Rajasthan between Udaipur and Jodhpur, is one of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan on the UNESCO World Heritage list — and it’s renowned for one superlative in particular: it has the second-longest wall in the world, after China. We drove up from Udaipur to walk it, and it lives up to the billing.

The second-longest wall after China

The video’s caption puts it plainly: the fort is “renowned for having the second-largest wall.” Built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha (the video’s caption spells it “Rana Khumbh”), the wall snakes for miles across the Aravalli hills — crenellated bastions running through dense jungle, wide enough in places to imagine elephants crossing it.

Drone shots show the wall at its most dramatic — a long crenellated ribbon winding through the green hills for mile after mile.

The fort’s silhouette alone is striking: the pale Badal (Cloud) Palace crowning the highest hill, ringed by the dark line of the wall — “architecture reminiscent of Athens’ Acropolis and Dubrovnik’s wall,” per the video.

Getting there: the scenic drive from Udaipur

It’s a “scenic drive from Udaipur” that “takes approx 3 hrs, with most of it off the highway” — so plan for a full morning behind the wheel. Two practical warnings from the video: “the last mile can have traffic jams” — “on weekends and holidays.” Go early on a weekend, or pick a weekday.

Arrival: the main entrance

The main entrance is a massive stone gateway — twin round bastions flanking a tall arched gate — with cars and auto-rickshaws clustering in front of it. This is where the visit starts.

The climb: cobblestone ramp and the Ganesh temple

Inside, “there’s a cobblestone ramp all the way” — a long, steady uphill walk that other visitors were doing in crowds on our visit. Along the way, stop at the “impressive Ganesh temple at the base” before you commit to the climb.

Tip from the fort’s own site map: “for a short trip, stick to the corner with the palace.” The complex is huge — if you’re tight on time, head straight for the Badal Palace corner rather than trying to cover everything.

The top: 360-degree views

The payoff at the top is worth the climb: “spectacular 360 views from the top.” From the palace terrace you look out over the whole fortified ridge, the wall threading through the hills on both sides, with visitors spread across the courtyard below.

Wrapping up

Kumbhalgarh pairs well with a Udaipur trip — and if you need a meal afterward, “many resort options in town for a lunch stop.” (We tried Kavish — slow service, per the video’s own caption.) A UNESCO hill fort with the world’s second-longest wall, a 15th-century palace on top, and a proper workout of a climb: well worth the three-hour drive.