• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHITTORGARH FORTRESS

December 20, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Chittorgarh, India

The Chittorgarh Fort in northwest India is the largest in India and one of the largest in the world.  It is also one of the oldest surviving fortifications in Asia, and has a colorful if violent history.  Aside from its impressive dimensions, Chittorgarh is famous for its gravity-defying cliff-top battlements and a water-storage system that is itself an engineering marvel.  According to legend, at its height the fort could garrison an army of as many as fifty thousand soldiers for up to four years.  Although the Chittorgarh Fort has not been immune to the passage of time, especially considering the many battles and sieges which took place here, the Chittorgarh Fort is in remarkably good shape.  After being abandoned in the late 16th century, Chittorgarh is currently making a major comeback and has become one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.

History

There are records of fortifications on the spot where Chittorgarh now stands going back as far as the 6th century AD. The first fort was likely founded by descendants of the Mauryas.  From that time until the end of the 13th century the Chittorgarh Fort passed through the control of a number of dynasties, and was frequently expanded, until it was believed by military experts to be the most impregnable citadel in India.  Throughout this entire period, Chittorgarh served as the capital from which the Mewar region was ruled.

In 1303, the Chittorgarh Fort witnessed the most famous siege fought for love since the Trojan War.  In that year the Sultan of Delhi marched on Chittorgarh out of desire to capture the wife of the King of Mewar.  The siege did not last long, and was fought primarily through treachery and intrigue.  After being briefly captured, the King of Mewar was rescued by his men.  These in turn were caught and surrounded before the gates of the fort and subsequently massacred.  Rather than be captured, the queen and her retinue burned themselves to death.

After its fall, the Chittorgarh Fort passed into the control of Muslim rulers.  The mighty citadel became a key an incredibly strategic prize among the warring factions seeking to dominate Northern India.  In one noted incident, the great ruler Rana Kumbha was assassinated by his own son who sought control of the fort and the kingdom.  But the bloodiest era arrived with the Mughals in the 16th century.

In 1527 the Mughals conquered Gujarat, exposing Mewar to the threat of attack.  Less than a decade later, Chittorgarh was besieged by an overwhelming force and sacked.  According to legend more than ten thousand women committed suicide rather than face the wrath of the Mughal soldiers.  After this disaster, the Chittorgarh Fort had a brief resurgence.  But the Mughals came again in 1567, this time to conquer the fortress permanently.  The subsequent siege was the largest in Chittorgarh’s history.  Some figures estimate that thirty thousand men from both sides died in the battle before the fortress finally fell.  In the wake of this disaster Chittorgarh became neglected, and by the end of the 16th century was abandoned altogether.

Visiting

Chittorgarh Fort is an absolutely massive collection of fortifications and buildings in various states of repair.  Because of its history, size and condition, Chittorgarh draws parallels to Rhinefels Castle in Germany.  Almost ten miles of walls enclose the site.  From below, the surviving outer walls arise breathtakingly from jaw-dropping cliffs.  The most prominent features of the fort are the Victory and Fame Towers, which arise like minarets from the highest points of the mountain and offer stunning views of the fort and the surrounding landscape.

Entrance to the fort is through a series of gates.  Designed to withstand assault by both artillery and elephants, most of the gates are still in excellent shape.  The interior of Chittorgarh is a labyrinth of palaces and temples.  The Rana Kumbha Palace now houses an archaeological museum.  Of particular interest from an engineering standpoint are the man-made reservoirs which can be found throughout the site.  In some places these reservoirs are prevented from spilling over the cliffs only by ancient, precariously built parapets.

Chittorgarh Fort crowns a massive mountain overlooking the city of Chittorgarh in the modern state of Rajasthan, approximately 130 miles southwest of Jaipur and 250 miles southwest of Delhi.  The road to the top of the mountain is steep and often difficult, and many visitors reach the top by motor rickshaw.  As of this writing no visitor information was available.  Web: www.chittorgarh.com (official website).

Other Sites

Thanks to its location on the frontier between the Subcontinent and Central Asia, Rajasthan boasts some of the best forts in India, if not all of Asia.  Just a short list includes the Amber Fort and Kumbhalgarh Fort.  Even more amazing are the absolutely jaw-dropping Jaisalmer Fort and Mehrangarh Fort, both of which would be included if there was more room.

Filed Under: Castle/Fortress Tagged With: India (NE)/Nepal

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.