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William Simpson's 1863 painting of the fort-palace of Amber at
the first light of dawn. |
Rajasthan is often projected as a land where forts and palaces
are a dime a dozen. Although there is much, much more to Rajasthan
- as you can see for yourself in our various sections - the
statement is partially true.
Nowhere else in the world can you find so many majestic killas
(forts) and mahals (palaces) - all with their own unique
stamp of individuality. So much so that they have been captured on
film - The Jungle Book, The Far Pavilions, Octopussy and The Jewel
in the Crown, to name a few.
The imposing Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur with Jaswant Thada
cenotaph in the foreground. |
Rajasthan's forts and palaces can be found anywhere and
everywhere - on hilltops, in dense forests, over the ridge, in the
middle of lakes and even in the midstream of a river (the Gagron
Fort)!
Many forts are totally barren, while some enclose entire
townships within their parapets. Forts, such as the one at
Chittaurgarh, have witnessed the bloodiest of battles, while some
did not even go through a rehearsal!!
KUMBHALGARH
The Rajasthani
version of the
Great Wall of China |
The prominent forts include those in Jodhpur
(Mehrangarh), Jaisalmer,
Chittaurgarh,
Kumbhalgarh,
Bundi and Jaipur
(Amber and Jaigarh).
Most of the palaces have been converted either into museums or
beautiful hotels. The must-see ones include:
- Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur... Hotel and Museum.
- Lake Palace, Udaipur... Hotel.
- City Palace, Udaipur... Hotel and Museum.
- Rambagh Palace, Jaipur... Hotel.
- Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur... Hotel.
- City Palace, Jaipur... Museum.
- Samode Palace, Samode (near Jaipur)... Hotel.
The picturesque Lake Palace in Udaipur. |
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur. |
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The Rambagh Palace, Jaipur |
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