A Nomad’s Diary – travel tales

A small detour from Udaipur and you land up in brave-heart city of Chittorgarh commonly called as Chittor. The city is worth a valuable visit of yours. It’s a treasure chest of defiant spirit of several men & women to protect their motherland under the leadership of Maharana Pratap.

But before you leave Chittor crosscheck if you have seen & done these 5 must do activities here:

#1. See Rani Padmini’s Palace & hear tales about her beauty:

The Chittorgarh fort is the largest fort in India and trust me it is really big.  It takes about one full day to cover all the places in this fort. The significant segment of this fort is Rani Padmini’s palace. It is beautifully designed and still retains the charm that was once reflected by Rani Padmini. She was the princess whose stories of beauties was prevalent in whole country in that era. So much so that Allauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi had set the condition in front of the then Raja to spare his city in return of just a glance of Rani Padmini. Todays also there is a large mirror in Rani Padmini’s palace from where the reflection of the lotus pond is visible.

 #2. VIsit Kumbha-Shyam Temple (Meerabai Temple):

This temple is known not only for the deity which worshiped here but more so because of the biggest devotee of all times, Meerabai. Open your soul to death defying devotional tales of Meerabai which all took place in this very temple at Chittorgarh. According to one such tale Meerabai had the vision of Lord Krishna in this temple while doing her regular prayers. The temple has a certain purity in its vibe which fills you with immense awe for the sanctum sanctorum and Meerabai.

#3. Song & Light Show:

Its a brilliant initiative by the tourism authorities to remember the valour & sacrifice displayed by the people of this region. With amazing light effects & recorded sound clips in the voice of famous Bollywood actors the show narrates the glorious past, the epic story of Maharana Pratap & the wars – their victories & coups.

#4. Witness the Mahasati Sthal / Jauhar Sthal (place):

Rajputs, who are the natives of this place strongly believe in the principle of ‘Death before Dishonor’. This place is symbolic of the same, as per the historians Rani Padmini had committed Jauhar along with all other women of the fortress to protect themselves from being dishonored by the troops of Alaudinn Khilji. They had jumped in the large fire pits  which led them to death.

#5. Finally get dressed as a Seth/Sethani..the traditional Rajasthani way..

Midst the palaces, temple & ponds, there is a small place where you will find vendors offering you to get dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire and click photographs for memory sake. Its the best thing to unwind, feel beautiful & live for once  – the majestic Rajasthani culture.

Been to Chittorgarh write in to me in the comments below. Your likes and dislikes are welcome!