Chittorgarh fort has a glorious history and chivalric lore. This was the capital of the Mewar princely state from the 8th to the 16th centuries, before Maharana Udai Singh moved the capital to
Udaipur. The fort occupies about 700 acres on a hill about 92 m (300 ft) high. It was besieged and sacked three times. After the first two conquests, the
Rajputs conquered it, but the third attack brought it under the
Mughals for a long period.
In the first attack by the Sultan of
Delhi, Allauddin Khilji, to win Rani Padmini, the wife of the then ruler, 34,000 warriors lost their lives but theSultan did not get Padmini. She, along with the other women in the fort, committed jauhar.
Chittorgarh was the home of the saint-poet Mirabai, a 16th century Rajput princess and devotee of Lord Krishna who gave up her royal life to sing bhajans in his praise.
The massive fort encompasses the palaces of Maharana Kumbha and Maharani Padmini, victory towers such as
Vijay Stambh and
Kirti Stambh, and a huge variety of temples. The Fateh Prakash Mahal displays some fine sculptures.
