The prime attractions of Rajasthan are, undeniably, it's numerous monuments. Right from the massive forts to fascinating palaces to the huge havelis (mansions) to the amazing temples, all add to the magnetism of Rajasthan. Rajasthan monuments are a living proof of the royal bygone era of the state. A monuments tour of Rajasthan brings alive the romance, culture and glory of the past days. These monuments are a visual treat to the eyes, with the architecture ranging from Mughal to Rajput to European. Almost each and every city of Rajasthan has some monument to boast of. Not just beauty and architecture, some of the monuments were built to serve more important purposes like security, defense, residence, religion, etc. a trip to Rajasthan without a visit to the famous monuments of the state will be meaningless. Amongst all the Rajasthan historical monuments.
Though in general, the monuments reflect the love of grandeur and beauty in the hearts of the erstwhile Rajasthanis, yet they had some really basic purpose for their construction like defensive, religious and accommodation. A few were even the result of the desire of the rajas to do something really unique. Some of the most well known monuments of the state are quiet obviously located in the big cities. However, even the smaller and remote destinations preserve enough of monumental heritage of Rajasthan for tourists. It is infact these little less famous destinations that need to be visited in order to understand the history and culture of Rajasthan in greater depth. Each monument narrate an entirely new story from its pages of historybook.
Nahargarh Fort - Jaipur :
Built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh in the year 1734 and located on the asperous Aravalli hills, the Nahargarh Fort was required to strengthen the protective coverage of Amber, the capital of the earlier rulers of Jaipur. Further extension and expansion work was done in the fort by later rulers and it is these additions that today hold the attention of the tourists. The original old structures have been hugely affected by the passage of time. The Fort, which is also known as the Tiger Fort, is reached by a walk past the streets at the base followed by a 2 km trek up the towering hill. On the top of the hill, the beautiful Man Sagar Lake spreads a welcoming glance. Right in the middle of the lake, Raja Jai Singh II built a duck blind, a shelter for screening duck hunters, for his shooting parties.
Amber Fort - Jaipur :
At a distance of around 11 kms from the city of Jaipur, on the Aravalli hills is located the famous Amber Fort. The construction of the fort was initiated by Raja Man Singh I, however, additions and modification were made later by Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Raja Jai Singh as well. The Rajput rulers operated from this very fort till the time the capital was shifted to Jaipur. The fort is an ideal example of Rajput passion for grandeur and their patriotism. For visiting tourists, the Amber fort holds forth numerous attractions in form of palaces, temples and gardens. Infact, reaching Amber Fort itself is a wonderful experience. Sitting on the back of an elephant, tourists feel themselves like a king or queen of the Rajput clan. It is because of this reason that though walking up the fort is also an option, yet tourists prefer to take a ride on the back of an elephant.
Jaigarh Fort - Jaipur :
Situated at a distance of 15 km from the city of Jaipur, the Jaigarh fort is a classic example of a pure citadel built by the Rajput rulers. The fort, like the numerous other forts of Rajasthan is not ornamented with carvings. It is infact very simple and clearly indicates the purpose for which it was built, to bolster the defense of Amer. The fort is surrounded by moats and has all the features that are required to dissuade the invading army from marching ahead. The Jaigarh Fort that literally translates into Victory Fort was constructed by Sawai Raja Jai Singh between the 15th and the eighteenth century. The fort can be explored completely within two hours without the help of any guide.
Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur :
Meharngarh Fort is situated on 150 m high hill and can be reached from the city through a circular road. Rao Jodha, the chief of Rathore clan, got the Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur constructed in 1459. It is one of the largest and most magnificent forts in India. Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur, Rajasthan has 7 gates, which need to be crossed before reaching the main complex. There is a chhatri of a soldier Kirat Singh Soda to the left of the Mehrangarh fort. He fell while defending the fort against the armies of Amber on the stop where the chhatri now stands. There is a gate named Jayapol (meaning victory) built by Maharaja Man Singh to celebrate the defeat of Jaipur and Bikaner. Maharaja Ajit Singh also constructed a gate called Fattehpol (meaning victory) to commemorate the win over Mughals. Another gate called Lohapol (meaning iron gate) has palm imprints of the queens of Maharaja Man who immolated themselves in an act of sati.
Ranthambore Fort :
The Ranthambore Fort is situated in the lush greenery of the Ranthambore National Park atop a hill. The name Ranthambore draws from the name of the hills - Thanbhore is the hill on which the fort is situated and Ran is the nearby hill. The Ranthambore Fort has seen quiet a lot interesting, tragic, happy, glorious and hair- raising moments during its long history. To elaborate, the Ranthambore Fort was built during the 8th century by the Chauhans, though the exact ruler during whose reign the fort was initiated is difficult to name. The most known ruler of this period was of Raja Hamir Deva who was crowned King in 1283 A.D. Its strategic position in central India made it one of the most sought after fort in the erstwhile era. The fort was attacked by a number of big powers at different point of time in history.
Chittaurgarh Fort :
Chittaurgarh Fort, located in the state of Rajasthan was initially built between the 5th and the 8th century by the Mori Rajput ruler, Chitrangad. At that point of time it was named Chitrakot. Later, Sisodia Rajput ruler, Ajai Pal Chauhan made some modifications in it. The history of Chittaurgarh Fort is laced with the heroic deeds of the valorous Rajput nobles and sacrifices of the beautiful queens. The fort has witnessed atleast three bloody battles since the time it was built. The first battle was waged by the Sultan of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khilji in the 14th century after he had a glimpse of the beautiful wife of Ratan Singh in a water tank. He was so besotted by the beauty of Rani Padmini that he attacked Chittaurgarh in order to posses her. The Rajputs fought the evil intention of the powerful ruler with all their might and laid down thousands of lives so as to protect the dignity of the queen as well as the kingdom. Rani Padmini, along with numerous other ladies of royal households committed mass suicide or Jauhar to escape dishonour at the hands of Ala-ud-din Khilji and his nobles.
Jaisalmer Fort - Jaisalmer :
Amidst the golden stretches of desert sand, the Jaisalmer Fort towers to a conspicuous height atop the Trikuta Hills. The yellow sandstone that has been extensively used in its construction makes it appear a part of the sandy region. Infact, it sometimes gives a fleeting impression that the fort itself has emerged out of the surrounding sand. The history of the fort tells us that it was built by Rai Jaisala in the year 1156 when he felt that his capital at Lodurva (15 km north west) was susceptible to foreign aggression. The ensuing period saw many postive and negative happenings like the emergence and decline of kings, onslaught by invading army (especially by Ala-ud-din Khilji), mass suicide by women and children and blossoming of art and architecture. The fort at all these time stood erect without perishing into the mound of sand.
Kumbhalgarh fort - Udaipur :
Kumbhalgarh fort of Udaipur is named after Rana Kumbha, who got the fort constructed in the 15th century. It is situated approximately 64 km north of Udaipur. The Mewar region has its second most important citadel in Kumbhalgarh, after Chittorgarh. Surrounding the fort are the Aravali ranges. The Kumbhalgarh fort of Udaipur, Rajasthan is another fort that has remained unconquered till date. This was so because of its inaccessibility and hostile topography. The fort has approximately thick walls wide enough for eight abreast horses. Kumbhalgarh fort is also the birthplace of Mewar's legendary King Maharana Partap.
Junagarh Fort - Bikaner
Encircled by a high wall and a moat, the Junagarh fort of Bikaner is an unassailable fortress. Till date, the fort has never been conquered. Raja Rai Singh, a general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, got the Junagarh fort constructed. The fort has only two gates. The main gate of the fort is east facing Karan Pol (gate). Next to it is the Suraj Pol (sun gate). The Junagarh fort is a huge complex housing a number of fascinating palaces. The main palaces are:
Khimsar Fort - Nagaur :
Situated in the Nagaur district of the Rajasthan, the Khimsar Fort was constructed by Rao Karamsiji (8th son of Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur) in the 16th century. Settled comfortably at the edge of Thar desert, between Jodhpur and Bikaner, Khimsar has a quintessential Rajasthani history of war and romance. Stories are rife as to how in earlier days, Khimsar endeavoured, though in vain, to free itself from the fiefdom of the Marwar empire and stabilize itself distinctly. Another story that captivates the imagination of the people is that the last great Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, himself paid a visit to this small village on request of a Thakur. However, the authenticity of this claim is highly dubitable.
Vijay Stambh - Chittorgarh :
Translated as the Victory Tower, it is a nine-storeyed 37 metres high structure with sculptures of a secular nature to ornate the exteriors. Maharaja Kumbha built it in commemoration of his victory over the Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat in 1440.
Jal Mahal - Jaipur :
Built in 1799, the palace is now abandoned, but reasonably well preserved. In the monsoons, it looks particularly startling with its red sandstone set against the water hyacinth filled lake. The Jal Mahal Palace, Jaipur is noted for its intricate architecture. The Palace was developed as a pleasure spot. It was used for the royal duck shooting parties. On the road to Amber at a distance of 6.5 kms from Jaipur are the cenotaphs of the royal family. A causeway leads to Jal Mahal Palace situated in the middle of Man Sagar lake, opposite the cenotaphs.The first four floors of this building is under water, only the top floor remains outside.One can have a wonderful view of the lake and the palace from Nahargarh Fort.
