Chittorgarh, Rajastan, India

Chittorgarh (Chittor) was the site of a Rajput kingdom until, after three defeats by the Moghuls, it was moved to Udaipur. It’s a stop on the tourist route through Rajastan because of the size of the fort there and for the historical significance. One interesting bit of history is that each time it was defeated, the last of the army rode out in orange robes to be killed by the enemy and, in traditional Hindu fashion, the women committed suicide with deaths of their men. On the last occasion, 13,000 women and children jumped into the firepit as their men were cut up to the last man.

Below is a model of Chittor in a museum in Udaipur. The fort itself is probably a couple of km long, so it’s not that photogenic from a distance. Within the fort are several large temple, more smaller temples, and official royal buildings. Much of it is now a park.

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I presumed the zigzag course up to the front gate was switchbacks to get up the hill, but I was told it was so elephants couldn’t get up speed to ram the gate.

Below is the tower of victory. It’s about 100m high, with intricate carvings.

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Other than that, there’s nothing in Chittor.

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