Rahul WishardKumbhalgarh fort is situated on a hill top 1100 m high in the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, 82 kms from Udaipur, Rajasthan. The walls of the fort extend 36 kms, making it one of the longest walls in the world. In fact it is second-longest continuous wall after the Great Wall of China. The fort is among the largest fort complexes in the world, and the second largest fort in India after Chittor Fort.
The early history of the fort is unknown. The earliest name of the fort is believed to be Machhindrapur. The original fort is believed to have been built by King Samprati of the Maura Age during the 6th century. The subsequent history till 1303 AD till the invasion of Alauddin Khalji is obscure.
The fort in its current form was built by the Mewar ruler Rana Kumbha. Out of the 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have designed 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate.
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Kumbhalgarh also separated Mewar and Marwar from each other and was used as a place of refuge for the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. The fort remained impregnable to direct assault, and fell only once to the forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar’s General Mansingh I in 1576 AD after Mughal victory at the Battle of Haldighati.
Ahmed Shah I of Gujarat attacked the fort in 1457 AD, but found the effort futile. There was a local belief then that the Banmata deity in the fort protected it and hence he destroyed the temple. There were further attempts in 1458-59 and 1467 AD by Mahmud Khalji, but it also proved futile. Akbar’s general, Shabhbaz Khan, is believed to have taken control of the fort in 1576 AD. But it was recaptured by Maharana Pratap in 1585 AD through guerrilla warfare. Finally in 1615 AD Mewar surrendered against the Mughal forces sent by Emperor Jahangir under the command of Prince Khurram. In 1818 AD, an armed band of Sanyasins formed a garrison to protect the fort, but was convinced by Tod and the fort was taken over by the British and later returned to Udaipur State. There were additions made by Maharanas of Mewar, but the original structure built by Maharana Kumbha remains. The residential buildings and temples are well-preserved. The fort is also known to be the birthplace of Maha Rana Pratap.
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The frontal walls of the fort are 15 ft thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to see kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar Desert can also be seen from the fort walls.
Lakhola Tank is the most notable tank inside the fort, constructed by Rana Lakha during 1382-1421 AD. It is located in the Western side of Kelwara town and measures 5 km in length to 100 m to 200 m in width. The tank had a depth of 40 ft during independence and since then has been raised to 60 ft. Aaret Pol is the gate on the western side, Halla Pol with an downward slope from the entrance, Ram Pol and Hanuman Pol near Bavadi are the major gates of the fort. There are inscriptions on the foot of idols in Hanuman Pol detailing the construction of the fort. Bad Shahi Bavdi is a stepped tank, believed to have been built during the invasion of Shahbaz Khan in 1578 AD, the general of Akbar to provide water to the troops. Most buildings are visible from the Ram Pol, which is considered an architectural specimen.
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Other prominent forts in Rajasthan are the Amber Fort, Chittor Fort, Gagron Fort, Jaisalmer Fort and Ranthambore Fort.
I visited Kumbhalgarh in Summer, 2007.
