The indomitable pride of Chittor, the fort is a massive structure with many gateways built by the later Maurya rulers in 7th century A.D. Perched on a 180 m high hill, it sprawls over 700 acres. The chhatris within are impressive reminders of the Rajput heroism.The main gates are Padal Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol and Ram Pol.The fort has many magnificent monuments, which are fine examples of the Rajput architecture.The ancient ruins of the fort are worth spending few moments in solitude.

The story of Chittorgarh is a saga of valor, tenacity and sacrifice. Chittorgarh (also Chittaurgarh) was sacked three times and its defenders had to make the supreme sacrifice. The Fort of Chittorgarh is a treasure trove of history and offers to the traveler an insight into the life of the Great Rajput rulers, who laid down their lives fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission under them.

History Of Chittorgarh
The origin of Chittorgarh can be traced to the seventh century. Earlier it was known as Chitrakut, after a local Rajput chieftain named Chitrang. It remained the capital of the local Sisodia clan of Rajputs from the eighth to the 16th century. The history of this town is written in blood and sacrifice. Muslim rulers sacked it three times in the medieval period. The first was by Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in 1303. Khilji laid siege of this hill fort to capture the beautiful Padmini, the queen of Chittorgarh. When the situation worsened, Bhim Singh, the ruler of Chittorgarh, led his men donned with saffron robes of sacrifice, and rode out of the fort to certain death. Inside the fort, women, including Padmini and the children, committed mass suicide or jauhar by immolating themselves on a huge pyre, rather than losing their honor at the hands of the enemy. In the middle of the 15th century, Chittorgarh gained eminence when the legendary Rajput ruler, Rana Kumbha, ruled it. He built the Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) to commemorate his victory over Mahmud Khilji, the ruler of Malwa, in 1440. Chittorgarh was sacked again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat. The jauhar that followed the siege saw the death of 13,000 women and 32,000 Rajput soldiers. The third and final siege took place in 1568 at the hands of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Jaimal and Kalla, two Rajput generals, valiantly defended the fort but with their death and deteriorating situation, jauhar was performed. However, Maharana Udai Singh II, the ruler of Chittorgarh, fled to Udaipur and re-established his rule. The Mughal emperor Jahangir returned Chittorgarh to its rulers in 1616.

Travel Information
Chittorgarh does not have an airport of its own. Chittorgarh railway station is located on the western banks of Gambheri River. It has rail links with Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jaipur, Kota and Delhi. The main bus stand is also on the western banks of Gambheri River. There is good bus service for Ajmer, Bundi, Kota and Udaipur from Chittorgarh.

Location and Transport of Chittorgarh Fort of Rajasthan in India

Chittorgarh is located in the southern part of the state of Rajasthan, in the northwestern part of India. It is located beside a high hill near the Gambheri River. It is 112 km from Udaipur and 182 km from Ajmer. The climate of Chittorgarh is arid. Summers are quite hot (April–June) and winters are cool (October–February). It experiences scant rainfall between June and August.

Chittorgarh is connected by both bus and rail. The bus stand and the railway are located in the new township. Chittorgarh Fort is a massive structure with a 1 kilometre zigzag accent to it. The road leads through seven gates to the main gate Rampol (meaning Gate of Ram). On the climb between the second and third gate you see two Chattris cenotaphs built to honour Jaimull and Kulla heroes of 1568 siege by Emperor Akbar. The main gate of the fort itself is Surajpol (meaning Sun Gate). Within the fort a circular runs around the ruins of the fort.

The majestic Chittorgarh Fort of Rajasthan in India is located 112 km from Udaipur which attracts domestic as well as international tourists owing to a number of historical and religious land marks within the city as well as in the vicinity and hence is very well connected to the major cities of India by road, Air and Rail.

Road: Udaipur falls on the Golden Quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8 and is around 650 km from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are really nice, paved in the middle, and fit for self-driving. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 7 hours) or Ahmedabad (4-5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from India Gate in Delhi.

Air: Dabok airport is 24 km from the city centre. Daily flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai and Delhi. The Airport is going through modernization project and soon going to have a new terminal building with additional 4 stands.

Train: Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi Kota and Mathura with superfast Mewar express on broad gauge line. Udaipur is now also connected with the Kolkatta, by the train "Ananya Express".

Distances of important cities from Udaipur: New Delhi (670 km), Jaipur (406 km), Mumbai (739 km), Ahmedabad (262 km), Jodhpur (275 km), Mount Abu (185 km), Agra (630 km), Chittorgarh (115 km).