Kumbhalgarh fortress is on the border of Mewar and Marwar, 84 KM north of Udaipur, on the rugged terrain of Aravalli range, at a height of 1087M. It was built 1458 AD by Rana Kumbha, and enlarged through the Nineteenth century. It was the 2nd oldest fortress in Rajasthan after Chittorgarh. Kumbhalgarh is also a birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. Occupied till the nineteenth century, the fort is now open to the general public as a museum and is spectacularly lit for a few minutes each evening. The fort has perimeter walls that extend 36 KM in length, erroneously claimed to be the longest in the world after the Great Wall of China. The second longest is actually the Great Wall of Gorgan in Iran. The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. Over 360 temples are within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. The vista from the palace top typically extends tens of kilometers into the Aravalli Range. It is widely believed that the sand dunes of the Thar desert can be seen from the fort walls. According to legend the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh tried so many times to build the wall of the fort but each time failed to do so. They consulted a local pilgrim about their construction problems. The pilgrim advised that he be beheaded and after cutting his head to build a temple where the head should fall, and to build the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. Following his advice, they succeed in building the world's third largest wall. 1 / 5
According to popular folklore, Maharana Kumbha used to burn massive lamps that consumed fifty kgs of Ghee and a hundred kgs of cotton to provide light for the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley. The site where Kumbhalgarh stands today was once a bastion, was once ruled by Prince Samprati and his dynasty who were Jain descendents of Mauryan emperors of India during the second century CE. Kumbhalgarh in its present form was developed by, and said to be personally designed by Rana Kumbha. Rana Kumbha's kingdom of Mewar stretched from Ranthambore to Gwalior and included large tracts of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. 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. Kumbhalgarh was captured once by the combined armies of Emperor Akbar, along with the armies of Raja Man Singh of Amber and Raja Udai Singh of Marwar. The fort's capitulation was accelerated by the scarcity of drinking water. Since, Kumbhalgarh separates Mewar and Marwar from each other; it was used as a place of refuge for the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. A notable instance was in the case of Prince Udai, the young king of Mewar who was smuggled here in 1535, when Chittor was under siege. Prince Udai who later succeeded to the throne was also the founder of the Udaipur City. Sacrifice by Panna Dhai: Panna Dhai, a 16th century Rajput woman of the Kheechee tribe, nursemaid to Udai Singh, the fourth son of Maharana Sangram Singh I (Sanga) (1509-1527). Her name, Panna means emerald, and dhai means a wet nurse in hindi language. She had been given charge of young Udai, breast - feeding him virtually from his birth in 1522, along with her own son Chandan (also known as Moti), who was of similar age and Udai's playmate. 2 / 5
However, the second and third decades of the 16th century were troubled times, and events moved rapidly. Sanga died of wounds sustained at the Battle of Khanwa (1527) against Mughal emperor Babur. Sanga's eldest son Bhoj Raj had been killed in battle in 1521. Three of his other sons died during his lifetime. Then his eldest son succeeded to the throne as Maharana Ratan Singh II (1527-1531). However, when he died after ruling only four years, the vile-tempered Vikramaditya II succeeded to the throne at the young age of 14. Vikramaditya took a small force of nobles and their armies into the hills to provide a second attack force; and young Udai Singh was spirited away with a small party that included Panna and her son to safety in Bundi. Chittor was sacked and Bahadur Shah returned to Gujarat. Udai Singh returned to the capital, and Vikramaditya came back to continue his reign. Unfortunately, his temperament had not improved with defeat and, one day in 1536, he physically abused a respected old chieftain at the Court. This proved to be the final straw for the Mewar nobles; they placed Vikramaditya under palace arrest, leaving the object of Panna Dhai's love and loyalty, Udai Singh as heir-elect to the throne. The Court appointed a distant cousin, Banbir to act as his Regent. He was, allegedly, the illegitimate son of Udai's uncle, Prithvi Raj (Crown Prince Prithvi Raj had a fight with his younger brother, Sangram Singh, and was sent into exile where he died, never to succeed to his birthright as Maharana of Mewar). Banbir, who considered himself to be the rightful heir to the throne knew the time was right to act. One evening that same year, he assassinated the imprisoned Vikramaditya, then hurried towards the rawala to get rid of the only remaining barrier to his ambition, the 14-year-old Maharana-elect, Udai Singh. Panna Dhai had already fed her beloved son and her royal charge, and put them to bed. A servant (vari) ran in to tell her of the nearby assassination. Immediately, the loyal nursemaid realised what Banbir was doing. She also knew that, for the future of Mewar, young Udai must be saved. Urgently, she instructed the servant to put the sleeping prince into a large basket and smuggle him out of the fort to a spot by the nearby river where she would join them later. As soon as the servant left with the basket and its precious royal contents, she summoned an amazing strength of will that is characteristic of so many Rajputs: she lifted her sleeping son, Chandan, from his bed and placed him on the prince's bed, covering him with a blanket. Within moments, Banbir burst into the room, sword in hand. When asked the whereabouts of the infant Maharana, Panna Dhai pointed to the occupied bed... and watched in horror as the murderer slew her son. Banbir then called a meeting of the Court, informed the gathered chiefs that both Vikramaditya and Udai were dead and, claiming his dubious right to the throne, proclaimed himself the new king of Mewar. Meanwhile, the grief-stricken Panna Dhai watched 3 / 5
as her son was hastily cremated. She then packed some clothing and meagre supplies into a bag, and hurried from the fort. At the designated spot by the river, she took charge of the young king and urged the servant, in the name of Mewar, not to mention a word of what had transpired that night. The woman and child then began an amazing trek of endurance, which lasted many weeks. They called at several towns seeking refuge from the local Chieftains. However, having heard of events at the capital, and to evade any repercussions from the violent Banbir, the Rawats (Chiefs) refused assistance. As Panna and Udai struggled on through the rugged valleys of the Aravalli ranges, only the local tribals, the BHILS, traditionally faithful to the Mewar crown, gave the couple food and temporary lodgings. Finally, they arrived at KUMBHALGARH, many kilometres west of Chittor, where the local governor, a Jain merchant named ASHA DEPURA SHAH, agreed to give the child protection. For a couple of years, Panna Dhai and the young king remained at Kumbhalgarh, where he was passed off as Asha Shah's nephew. However, in 1539, a chieftain from Marwar visited the fort, and the 17-year-old Udai was sent to receive him. The youth's dignified manner convinced him he was no nephew of the Jain governor, and rumour quickly spread that Udai Singh might still be alive. A deputy of chiefs from Chittor went in secret to Kumbhalgarh, where they interviewed not only the young man, but also Panna Dhai. The royal nursemaid, knowing her young charge would now be in safe hands, told them the full story of the deception and the escape. The nobles proclaimed Udai as their Maharana and his coronation was held at Kumbhalgarh. In 1540, backed by a large combined Mewar and Marwar force, Udai Singh, then aged 18, marched on Chittor to reclaim his throne. Hearing of their approach, Banbir the usurper mounted an army and rode out to repel them. They met at Mavli (northeast of Udaipur-southwest of Chittor) and Banbir was defeated (he was either killed or he escaped, never to return). Maharana Udai Singh rode into Chittor acclaimed by the populace. How to reach: From Udaipur, State Buses ply at 7-30, 11-00, 15-30 and 17-00 Hours and it takes about 3 hours drive. There are many private buses also on this route. The tourist by car can visit the fort on the way to Ranakpur. Hotels in Kumbhalgarh Name of the Hotels Tariff range in Indian Rs. Contact address/ Phone Nos. Hotel Avdhi (Heritage Hotel) PWD Rest House. 4 / 5
The tourists may contact the hotels directly at the address indicated above, where the contact details have been provided by the hotels in the above table. Alternatively, please contact your travel agent (from the list under "Travel Services" in the main menu) who deals with the concerned hotel or you may contact ArrayTours for booking. For details, please log on to www.arraytours.com or e-mail your queries to info@arraytours.com or phone +91 33 24416978, +91 9433253111. 5 / 5