Kumbalgarh, the Unconquered Fort

Next day early morning we left from Mount Abu towards our journey to Udaipur. On the way we visited quite a few marvelous places. One among them is Kumbhalgarh.

The most important tourist attractions here are:

The Fort

Rana Kumbh built this massive fort in 15th century in the Aravali ranges. A few kilometers of zigzag road through deep ravines and thick forests leads one to this fort. This massive fort stretches across 36 kms of the Aravali Mountains and is 1100 m high from the sea level. This is surrounded by thirteen mountain peaks, guarded by seven great gates and seven ramparts, strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watchtowers. This mountain fortress has been through many battles and has remained un-conquered.

The fort has seven gates and the last gate leads one to the palace. The first one is Arait Pol, where you can trace the watch-tower and Other gates are Hulla Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol, Bhairava Pol, Paghra Pol, Top-khana Pol and Nimboo Pol.

The seven ramparts folded with one another with designed walls toughened by curved bastions and huge watch towers. The strong structure of walls of the Fort made it unbeatable till date. The hefty walls of the fort are broad enough to stand eight horses side by side.

There are many palaces, temples and gardens inside this huge fort complex. It is believed that there are not less than 360 temples inside the complex of the Fort. Amongst all of them, Shiva Temple is worth visiting that comprises a huge Shivalinga (Phallic form).

On top of the fort is the Badal Mahal Palace or the Palace of Cloud. It encloses beautiful rooms with pleasant color schemes of green, turquoise and white. This palace is very different when compared to rest of the raw and grim fortress. The palace was rebuilt by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. The legendary Maharana Pratap was born here.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

Sited in the flourishing green zone of Udaipur, Kumbalgarh is the only sanctuary of Rajasthan, where one can see one of the rarely found wolfs. This is one of the few parks that allow people on horseback. The best time to visit the reserve is from October to June.

We did not visit this as we had not planned for this.

From Kumbalgarh, we traveled to Udaipur, City of Lakes.

Distance: Kumbalgarh ---> Udaipur 64 kms

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Jodhpur, Blue City

Next day we left Jaisalmer in the early morning and reached our next destination Jodhpur in the afternoon. We stayed for 1 night in this place. We could not not spend more time here due to the schedule we had sketched. Another extra half day would have really helped. 



Once a major trade center of the 16th century A.D. it is now the second largest city of Rajasthan. While the graceful palaces, forts and temples strewn throughout the city bring alive the historic grandeur, exquisite handicrafts, folk dances music and the brightly attired people lend a romantic aura to the city. The jumble of wide winding streets are flanked with pavement stalls. It is also referred as the Blue City due to the indigo tinge of the whitewashed houses around the Mehrangarh Fort.

The major attractions in the city are given below:

Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort was built in 15th century by the Rathore Rajputs when they shifted their capital from nearby Mandore to Jodhpur. The architecture is such that, one can not separate the fort from bluff-colored sandstone hill on which it is constructed. Past the gates, the fort-palace takes one's breath away.

Situated on a steep hill, Mehrangarh Fort is one of the largest forts in India. To enter the fort, seven gates have to be crossed. The fort encloses many palaces, which are known for their intricate carvings and sprawling courtyards.
Jaswant Thada




The Jaswant Thada, is located on the long road that takes one to the fort. It is the traditional cremation ground of the rulers of Jodhpur. 

Umaid Bhawan Palace

We reached this place at 6 p.m and the gates were closed for us. The snap here is from my friend. If one wishes to visit this place be here before 5 p.m. After 5 p.m the gates are closed for visitors and they are allowed nowhere near the gates.

From Jodhpur we traveled to Ranakpur, the temple town of Rajasthan.

Distance: Jodhpur ---> Ranakpur 180 kms

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.