KUMBHALGARH & RANAKPUR DAY TOUR

DURATION OF THE TOUR: SAME DAY RETURN

DESTINATION COVERING: KUMBHALGARH/ RANAKPUR

Kumbhalgarh is in the Rajsamand district near Udaipur of Rajasthan state in western India. mostly preferred by travellers. The go to destination for types of travellers, be it family, kids and couples, Kumbhalgarh is, however, mostly preferred. The best season or months to visit places in Kumbhalgarh are February, March, October, November, and December. There are 9 tourist places in Kumbhalgarh, which can be explored by travellers. Local attractions can be visited at any time of the day, be it early morning, afternoon, evening or night, as suitable for travellers. Sightseeing in Kumbhalgarh can be done by travellers, which will take half a day or one day.

PLACES TO SEE

The Kumbhalgarh Fort is located on the banks of Banas River and is the second most important fort of Rajasthan. It is surrounded by 13 mountain peaks and strengthened by watchtowers and rounded bastions. It was built by Rana Kumbha and it took him some 15 years to build this fort. The fort stretches across 36 km of the Aravalli Mountains and houses a domed palace. The length of the winding walls was instrumental in defending the citadel from the series of battlements. The fort rises from a prominent ridge, at a height of 1100 metres from the sea level. There are seven gates that guard this fort and are wide enough for eight horses to march abreast. the fort is the second largest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China and the second largest fort in Rajasthan after Chittorgarh Fort.

The Badal Mahal or the Palace of Clouds is situated at the top of the Kumbhalgarh Fort. This two-storied structure is divided into two interconnected distinct portions, namely, the Mardana Mahal and the Zanana Mahal. Badal Mahal is also known as Palace of Clouds and it is situated at the top of the Kumbhalgarh fort and having an elevation about or more than 3500 feet from mean sea level which is considered the highest point of the fort. This palace was built by Maharana Fateh Singh in the late 19th-century, though his reign was from 1885 to 1930. This fort is surrounded by Aravalli hill ranges and by Kumbhalgarh wildlife.

The Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary surrounds the Kumbhalgarh Fort and spans an area of 586 sq km. It is situated across the Aravalli range and derived its name from the Fort. The sanctuary houses many wildlife species like chausinga or four-horned antelope, panther, wild boar, wolf, sloth bear, jackal, sambar, chinkara, leopards, hyena, jungle cat, nilgai and hare. It is considered to be Rajasthan’s only sanctuary that houses a variety of wolves and touristscan observe the activities of the rarely found wolf at this place.It is also the home to various birds like flamingos, spoonbills, cormorants, egrets, grey jungle fowl, doves, peacocks, parakeets, grey pigeons, golden oriole and white breasted kingfisher. The flora of this sanctuary consists of various plants and trees having herbal qualities.

The Neelkanth Mahadev , Vedi Temple and Mammadev Temple is situated close to the fort, near the base of the plains. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses a six feet high stone Shivlinga. It is considered to be the only deity of the area that is still worshipped and maintained by the locals. According to legend Rana Kumbha offered prayers to the deity in this temple everyday. He was so tall that when he sat on this temple’s floor for offering prayers, his eyes were on level with the deity. He had a tragic death as he was beheaded by his own son, while offering prayers to the Lord.

The Ranakpur Jain Temples are situated at a distance of 50 km from Kumbhalgarh. Tourists need to avail the route through Saira and Vanpura to reach this temple.Rana Kumbha began the construction of these temples in 1438. Besides being a tranquil meditation centre, it became a sculpture museum to which statues and shrines were added by the wealthy Jain ministers and merchants. The Chaumukha Temple is devoted to Tirthankara Adinath and is inclusive of 1444 distinctly carved pillars and 29 halls. There are two temples that are devoted to the Jain saints, Neminath and Parasnath and have carvings similar to that of Khajuraho. The Sun Temple is situated nearby that dates back to around the 6th century. Its polygonal walls are decorated with carvings of horses, warriors and chariots driven by booted solar deities.