Kumbhalgarh Fort: Places to visit near Udaipur
There are many places near Udaipur which one can visit. On our trip to Udaipur (you can read my full travelogue here), we decided to go to Kumbhalgarh Fort. Today in this post I will give you a quick guide to this fort.
How to reach: It is 102 Km away from Udaipur and can be easily reached in 2 hours 15 minutes by car.
Entry Fee: Rs 20 for Indians
Famous For: Heritage, architecture, photography and hiking.
Opening Timings: 9 AM- 6 PM
Under the reign of Mewar kings in Rajasthan, this majestic fort was built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century between AD 1443 and 1458. The fort was built under the direction of Mandan who was a very renowned architect of that time. The fort is named after the King Kumbha, hence Kumbhalgarh. It was cleverly designed on a hilltop to provide the strategic position to the Mewar kings to protect them against the attack of the enemies. It is also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, one of the most powerful kings of Mewar.
Surrounded by elevated mountain peaks, the walls of the fort are extended to the length of 36 Km. It is stated to have a second longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. The huge complex of the fort has numerous palaces, temples, and gardens making it magnificent.
Though it is around 2 hour and a 30-minute drive away from Udaipur, you won’t get bored in the way. The way to the fort is captivating and scenic. There will be times when you would just want to stop your vehicle and gaze at the alluring view.
This was my second visit to this fort, but no matter how many times one visit this fort, its beauty will always leave one in reverence. There is just one word for this fort and that is ‘spectacular’. It is so vast that you will need a whole day to explore it and believe me the view won’t let you feel tired. The moment when you are standing at the gate you would be able to see a beautiful view of villages down there and an amazing view of the fort up there, the view is enough to make one feel excited, thrilled and yet content at the same time.
There are many temples in the complex, one of them is Shiva Temple which is very famous. You will have the opportunity to explore the fort on your own as there are no guides here. Just wear comfortable shoes, carry a water bottle and explore this phenomenal fort. You will be left astounded by its beauty.
Though there are many places to visit near Udaipur, I will always choose Kumbhalgarh as my favourite, maybe it’s because of the memories I created there with my friends, or it is the beauty of the place, or it can be both amplifying the magnificence of each other.
After exploring the fort you can go to a restaurant nearby called The Dera. You can also visit Haldighati, where the Battle of Haldighati was fought. This is the same battle where Chetak saved Maharana Pratap despite being wounded.
So if you are planning to visit Udaipur Kumbhalgarh Fort is a must visit.
There are many other places too where you can visit some of them are- Chittorgarh, Mount Abu (Read my blog here) and Ranakpur Temple.
Hope you find this post helpful, will see you in the next post.
Bye.
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