Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh Tour /Taxi

You will find yourself on a zigzag road going through deep ravines and thick forests. This way would take you to the Ariat Pol, where you can trace the watch-tower and then Hulla Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol, Bhairava Pol, Paghra Pol, Top-khana Pol, and Nimboo Pol will come across your track. After seeing these temples when returning to the Ram Pol, the real upward steep slope starts from the Ganesh temple towards the main fort. At a short distance, there are many rooms, one for the residence of guards. They are being used by the employees of the Archaeological Department.   There is a Bhairav Pol above here. There is a stone inscription on this Pol. The High slope from here is tough and on way, there is a platform of which there are only broken remnants that whisper the story of a man who sacrificed his life in the reconstruction, and revival of the glory of the fort. There is Nimbu Pol a short ahead beyond. The southern side of this yard is a place for storing canons. Some canons are still there. It is said that explosives and other material were stored safely under this yard. It is also said that Shahbaz Khan attacked this very place with canon fires and tried to occupy the fort.

At a short distance from here is the Pagoda Pol. There is a building near this Pol – called ‘Jhalia ka Malia’ or the palace of queen, Jhali. It is said that Kumbha constructed this palace for Jhali queen, but historically it is doubtful. The fact is that Rana Udai Singh built this palace for his Jhali queen. This palace is now only a heap of the rubble of bricks, stones, and mortar, with some walls and roofs. Some specimens of wall paintings of this palace appear to be very attractive and live even today.

The palace of Rana is a two-storied edifice and is situated just close to this palace. Kumbha’s palace is also in an utterly decayed state. The art of construction of walls and stories are amazingly great. Though it has not been able to withstand the vagaries of time and climate, yet the grand edifice tells the untold tales of Kumbha’s greatness and love for architecture. There are two rooms under this palace, a corridor in the middle and an open space in the front. The rooms have windows (Jharokhas of carved stones) and have been strongly built. The plaster is quite strong at some places even today. The situation and position of this place is such that it is easy to have a glance of the entire fort from here.

There is a temple of Navdurga near this palace. There is a wide yard covered with a roof in front of the temple. The inner part of the temple where the idol is placed is very small. This temple was also built during the period of Kumbha. Many pieces of stone inscriptions are scattered in the yard of this temple, which shows the works of Rana Kumbha. There is the kitchen of the rulers near this temple.

Climbing up the stairs near the temple one can see a grand and magnificent edifice known as Fateh Prakash constructed by Rana Fateh Singh during his regime (1884-1930 A.D.). He realized the importance of the forts of Mewar. He got some of the old and decayed buildings of Kumbhalgarh pulled down and constructed new ones in their place. This palace is two-storied and is divided into two parts – Janana Mahal  (women’s apartment for the queens) and Mardana Mahal (King’s palace). Both the parts of the palace were built strongly and artistically. The main gates of both parts are in the east. These palaces have many big and small rooms. The natural sights from the windows appear to be very attractive and enchanting. The sight of desert tracts from here, adds to the natural beauty of the area. On clear days, many villages and towns of Marwar are clearly visible from here. Due to height, cold breezes always blow across the windows of this palace, which gives great relief, pleasure, and solace to the tired tourists.  The visitor enjoys the sight of these palaces with amazing eyes. The sight of the desert beyond Kumbhalgarh is visible with naked eyes and the movements of the enemy forces can be plainly observed from hereafter seeing the fort the tourist forgets his tiresomeness and is forced to think about those times when there were no scientific means and still these gigantic forts and buildings had been built by the rulers of Mewar. This required patience, perseverance, strength, and valor to construct these buildings. The buildings, tanks, temples, their sculpture, architecture, and precision work leave a permanent impression on the minds of visitors to the fort in praise of its builders and architects. Though Kumbhalgarh is a little apart from all the main rail and road routes, yet it is an important national monument having a history of unprecedented valor and a character of the invincible fort of the medieval period which sustained and withstood numerable attacks of ambition, proud and obstinate rulers of Delhi and neighboring states and also the thick and thins of weather and climatic conditions.