Kumbhalgarh is the
second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar
region. Located 64 kms north of Udaipur.
The fort is self-contained and has within its amalgam almost
everything to withstand a long siege. The fort fell only once
that too to the combined armies of Mughal and of Amber for
scarcity of drinking water. Many magnificent palaces are array
of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque
place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds.
The fort also offers a superb birds view of the surroundings.
The fort's thick wall stretches some 36 kms and is wide enough
to take eight horses abreast.
The Kumbhalgarh Fort also has a great significance by being
the birthplace of Maharana Pratap and as the finest examples
of defensive fortification in Rajasthan. The most interesting
part is that this fort has a fort within itself. Named
Kartargarh, the inner fort has a palace built by Maharana
Fateh Singh after he had pulled down the old palace built by
Rana Kumbha.
