Golden Fort, Jaisalmer

Golden Fort in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan) is the most magnificent site. Built in 1156 by the Bahtti Rajput ruler Jaisala, and reinforced by later rulers, the fort crowns the 80 m - high Trikuta Hill. This is one of the oldest living fort, where one quarter of the old city's population is still residing in it. (Click on the images for bigger view)

The fort has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls. The lower wall is of solid stone blocks which reinforce the loose rubble of which Trikuta hill is composed. The second wall snakes around the fort. Above is the view of the fort from one of the havelis located outside the fort at a quite good distance.


The fort is entered from first Fort Gate and a series of massive gates via an enormous stone paved ramp, leads one to a large courtyard. In the courtyard one can see the former Maharaja's seven story Palace, Rajmahal. This square was formerly used to review troops, hear petitions and present extravagant entertainment for important visitors.


Within the fort walls, there are seven beautifully carved Jain Temples built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The fort looks especially magical when it is lit up at night.

Vellore Fort

The fort in Vellore (State: Tamil Nadu) is located inside the city. The Land Fort built in the 3rd quarter of the 16th century AD is one of the most perfect specimens of military architecture in the South. (Click on the images for bigger view)

The fort has been occupied by several different dynasties. The fortification consists of a main rampart broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls of the fort are built using huge granite stones surrounded by a broad moat fed with water.

The The approximate circumstance of the fort is 2600 meters. The moat running around the fort is of length and depth of 190 feet and 20 feet respectively. The outer length of the fort is about 2500 feet and 1500 feet in breadth. The height of the outer wall is about 30 feet and the breadth is about 25 feet. Inside the fort is the famous and beautiful Jalakanteshwara Temple.

Meharangarh Fort, Jodhpur

The Fort of Jodhpur (State: Rajasthan) looms on the top of a rocky hill, and it rises 125 mts, above the plains. Built in the 15th century by the Rathore Rajputs, the architecture is such that, one can not separate the fort from bluff-colored sandstone hill on which it is constructed. (Click on the images for bigger view)

The fort is built on the hill in such a way that it is very difficult to identify where the hill ends and the fort walls begin. The fort at several places has 17 feet thick and 68 feet high walls.

It is approached by a series of 7 gateways set at an angle so that armies could not charge them with any success. Past the gates, the fort-palace takes one's breath away.

Across from huge courtyards are the palatial apartments that have been built over five centuries of bristling history. The beauty and the grandeur of numerous palaces in the fort narrates a saga of hard sandstones yielding to the chisels of skilled craftsmanship. Only some of the spectacular palaces of the fort are open to the visitors.

These consists of Moti Mahal with its pierced screen windows overlooking the coronation seat where the Rathore ruler have been ritually anointed to rule; Jhanki Mahal, the apartment from where the zenana women would watch ceremonial events; Chandan Mahal, where affairs of state were discussed; the royal Darbar Takhat or throne room with its octagonal throne.

Ganesh Mandir, Jhansi

Inside the Jhansi Fort is the Ganesh Temple used by the royal family for the worship. (Click on the images for bigger picture)

This is a simple temple built in a very small area very close to the gate. In Jhansi (state: Uttar Pradesh) this is one of the most popular temple. The wall behind the temple is the inner walls of the fort. A tour of fort is not complete without a visit to this temple.

Badal Mahal, Kumbalgarh

In the 15th century King Rana Kumbh built a massive fort whose walls stretched for 36 kms in the Aravali ranges in a place by name Kumbalgarh (State: Rajasthan). The Kumbalgarh Fort is surrounded by 13 mountain peaks, and guarded by seven great gates, strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watchtowers. (Click on the images for bigger view)

There are many palaces, temples and gardens inside this huge fort complex. At the top most point in the fort is the palace known as Badal Mahal or the Palace of Cloud.

The palace was rebuilt by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. The legendary ruler Maharana Pratap was born here. The palace has colorful rooms. Unfortunately we could not see them as it was closed when we were there. This palace is very different, when compared to rest of the raw and grim fortress.

The entrance of the palace has beautiful carvings. Even the wooden door of the palace is also carved beautifully.

Travel Photo Challenge

BlogAdda has organized a ‘Travel Photos Contest’. After a long time I am seeing a contest in my area of interest - travel and photography. So I am glad to participate in this, where I have to post 5 of my best travel photographs as I see it. (Click on the images for bigger view)

The above image is of Jaisalmer Golden Fort taken during the Rajasthan tour. Built in 1156 on the Trikura Hill it is one of the oldest forts that has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls. Why the fort is called so, is very much evident when Sun rays fall on the fort. I wanted to capture the fort shining like gold in the night when focused by light and went around the fort to get the best possible view. The shot which was taken with film SLR camera without the support of tripod when developed was truly satisfying.

The above image is of Tanjore Brhihadeeshwrar Temple taken during the Tamil Nadu tour. This Big Temple was built during the period 985 -1012 A.D. Because of its unique architectural excellence the UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument. It was a pleasure to capture the gigantic temple and the big Nandi Mantappa in one frame. The size of the people around the temple gives us an idea of how huge the temple really is.

The above image is of Jog Falls taken during the Karnataka tour. The sight of river Sharavathi taking a leap from a height of 900 feet is spectacular. It is the highest waterfall in India. When we had visited the place it was the beginning of the rainy season and on the day it rained heavily with low flying clouds. It was a challenge to capture the beautiful waterfall in image because of low flying clouds blocking the view.

The above image is of Qutub Minar taken during the Delhi tour. Measuring 72.5 meters is the world's tallest brick minaret. Construction of this started in 1193 and the topmost story of the minaret was completed in 1386. It is surrounded by various medieval and ancient structures. People will love to capture this monument in various angles along with other ruins surrounding it. This image is one such attempt.

Finally the above is image of Glass House at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore. This beautiful garden of 40 acres is home for various rare plants. It is regarded as one of the best gardens in Eastern part of the World. The glass house when lighted in the night looks more beautiful than during the day time. The shot which was taken with film SLR camera without the support of tripod when developed was truly satisfying.

India is such a wonderful treasure of architecture, nature, and wildlife it is very difficult to choose only 5 images. Each image have their own story to tell. Truly a Picture is worth a thousand words.

Orchha Fort Complex

Orchha (State: Madhya Pradesh) has an imposing fort, dating back to the 16th century. The fort complex contains magnificent palaces of the Bundela kings presenting a matchless spectacle of those times. (Click on the images for bigger picture)


The complex has 3 palaces:

Raj Mahal - Bundela kings residential palace. a massive square building of which the exterior is almost absolutely plain.

Jehangir Mahal - a square building, but far more ornate, a singularly beautiful specimen of Hindu domestic architecture.

Rai Praveen Mahal - built in memory of the famous poetess and musician, Rai Parveen, the beautiful courtesan of Raja Indramani.

Jhansi Fort -2

The fort of Jhansi popularly known as Jhansi Fort is built on hilltop in 1613. The Fort is an architectural delight for his sheer size and the structure. The fort spread across 15 acres of land is about 312m in length and 225m in width. (Click on the images for bigger picture)

There are 10 gates providing access to this fort. Some of these are Khanderao Gate, Datia Darwaza, Unnao Gate, Jharna Gate, Laxmi Gate, Sagar Gate, Orcha Gate, Sainyar Gate and Chand gate.

Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, inspired patriotism in heart of all her subjects. This particular cannon in the above image is operated by Moti Bai a dancer in the royal court. While defending the fort from the enemies not only men, even women of the state fought bravely.

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Jhansi Fort -1

The Jhansi fort (state: Uttar Pradesh) is built by Raja Vir Singh Judeo of Orcha in 1613 on a hilltop called Bangra. The fort covers a sprawling area of 15 acres and this massive fortification with 22 bastions measures about 312m in length and 225m in width. (Click on the images for bigger picture)

There are 10 gates to enter this fort. The important sights in the fort are the two temples - Shiva temple, Ganesh temple, the palace - Panch Mahal, and the Kadak Bijli cannon used in the freedom struggle of 1857.

The fort was a residence of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, who fought British army and attained martyrdom. In the fort one of the most important location is the place from where queen jumped out of the fort on horseback. She tied her adopted son on her back and jumped from top of the fort on her horse Pavan. The height of the fort walls on the hillock clearly highlights the courage she had shown.

Once out of the fort she regrouped her army and attacked Gwalior Fort which was under the control of British. She successfully captured this much bigger fort from the British.

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Jhansi

From Datia we traveled to Jhansi which is at a distance of 34kms. This place is known for the fort of Rani Laxmi Bai situated in the hilly area. (Click on the images for bigger picture)

Jhansi (state: Uttar Pradesh) is part of Uttar Pradesh state. We covered this in our tour of Madhya Pradesh as it very close to the borders of the state. Another reason being passing through this place also reduces the travel time. Most important reason is I would not have missed the chance to see the fort after being so close to it.

Gwalior Fort

Back from Mitavali in Gwalior we went straight to Gwalior Fort after covering Jai Vilas Palace. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The magnificent Gwalior Fort is built by rulers of Tomar Dynasty in the 15th century on a sandstone cliff, which is 2.8km long from the North to the South and 200-850m wide from east to west and 91 m above the surrounding plains. A majority portions of the fort was built during the reign of Raja Man Singh. The fort walls which are 35ft high and two miles in length, has been influenced by both Hindu and Muslim architecture.

This awe-inspiring fort with two main entrances, encloses three complexes, six palaces, temples and a number of water tanks. Inside the fort there are some wonders of medieval architecture. On the eastern side the fort can be approached from Eastern Gate known as Gwalior Gate which leads pedestrian path while on the western side is Urbai Gate which is the motor able way.

The northern end has Jhangir Palace (5), Shah Jahan Palace, Karna Mahal, Vikram Mahal and Jal Johar Kund. These structures without the proper maintenance are sadly getting ruined. Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhod (6) is the new addition to the fort and has been constructed very recently. Near the Eastern Gate is Man Mandir Palace and it has been maintained quite well. Other structures that are maintained well are the temples. In the next sections we will cover the following in some detail:

1. Man Mandir Palace
2. Sahastrabahu Temple
3. Teli-Ka Mandir
4. Gujari Mahal

Padavali Temple

Around Gwalior there are plenty of places of historical importance. One among them is Padavali located at a distance of 40kms from Gwalior. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

Here in the fortress of Padavali there exists a magnificent temple. The premises of fort has to to be entered by climbing a set of steps. The temple and a small residential complex are the only two structures inside the fort. The temple displays classic architecture, which is as good as any of the famous temples in its time. Most of the sculptures are in the ceiling.


This temple depicts the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Ram Leela, Krishna Leela, Mahabharat, marriage of Lord Ganesha, and Samudra Manthan among various other things. The image of Lord Shiva dancing in the cemetery in Preta form is a specialty of this beautiful shrine.

An abode of numerous Hindu gods and goddesses, devotees will be enriched with devotion by the holy darshan. They all look so novel as if they were built just recently.

The carvings in the ceiling are unique and no two carvings are identical.

From here we next moved to Mitavali.

Distance: Padavali ---> Mitavali 12 kms

Devanahalli Fort

Devanahalli is a small town located at a distance of 35 kms from Bangalore. It has been in the news in the recent times for the Bangalore International Airport that has come up there. As of now it happens to be the second largest airport in the country.

This is not the only reason for town's fame. There is lot of history associated with this place and it happens to be the birth place of Tippu Sultan known as Tiger of Mysore. He was born here in 1750 A.D

But the history of this town is much older than this. Here exists a fort built by Mallabairegowda in 1501 A.D. It remained in the hands of his decedents till 17th century and later occupied by Tipu Sultan family. The present fort is not the original one, but rebuilt by Hyder Ali and Tippu by stone in the 17th century. It is spread over a total area of 20 acres with roughly oval east orientation of fortification. A spacious battlement is provided towards the inner side of the fortification. Like Jaisalmer Golden Fort this is a living fort where many families live inside the fort.

The fort has as many as 12 semi-circular bastions. The bastions are provided with gun points built with lime and brick.

The fort has entrances decorated with cut plasterwork at the east and west. The entrances are quite small, comfortable enough for the horses of yore.

There is a memorial located about 150m south-west of the fort, is traditionally identified as the spot where Tippu Sultan was born. A four pillared arched structure which rests on a square platform within a masonry enclosure having entrance from the east is the only remains available.


The fort has several beautiful temples.

How to Reach There

This place is located on Bangalore - Hyderabad National Highway 7. On this road do not take a deviation to the airport. But still proceed until you reach a junction with circle on the road. At this junction right and immediate right again. This will lead to the fort via Tippu Memorial.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Along with palaces, and other attractions we set our eyes on exploring the most important tourist attractions of the city i.e., the forts. The third fort in Jaipur we followed after the Nahargarh Fort and Jaigarh Fort is Amber Fort.

Built in 1592 on barren ridge by Raja Man Singh, it is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. It provides impressive views over a deep narrow valley and the wider plains beyond. It is located on the hills that surround Jaipur. The fort that sprawls along the Maotha Lake, is composed of a massive complex gateways, courts, stairways and pillared pavilions, and palaces.

From the bottom of the hill one can reach the fort over the hill either by using stairways or elephant ride. For a nominal fee they carry two to three people on elephant to the top where front courtyard of the complex exists.

The entire fort complex, is constructed of white and red sandstone. The imposing rugged outlook of the fort is of the stark contrast to to the inside, a lavish ornate interior which is combination of both Hindu and Mughal styles of architecture. Some of the interior walls of the fort are covered with murals, frescoes, and paintings depicting various scenes from daily life. Other walls are covered with intricate carvings, mosaic, and minute mirror work. The front yard is adorned with the marvelous, pillared hall of the Diwan-i-Am, and the two - tiered painted gateway Ganesh Pol. Once you enter through the Ganesh Pol, the structure of special interests inside are Sheesh Mahal, Jas Mandir.

Ganesh Pol in the front yard

Sheesh Mahal is the palace of mirrors. The walls of this palace as the name suggests are inlaid with exquisite mirrors.

Sheesh Mahal

The Jas Mandir, located on the upper floor, is a superb combination of Mughal and Rajput style of architecture, as can be seen from the exquisitely carved Jali screens, and fine mirror and stucco work.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur

Along with palaces, and other attractions we set our eyes on exploring the most important tourist attractions of the city i.e., the forts. The second fort in Jaipur we followed after the Nahargarh Fort is Jaigarh Fort.

This fort is very rugged in structure and is of very less artistic importance. It has huge fort walls, watch towers, palaces and temples. The palace is now converted into museum. This was built in 1726 by Sawai Jai Singh. This fort is also known as Fort of Victory. It was built mainly to safeguard Amber Fort from the enemy attacks which is more of artistic in nature. The fort is perched on a cliff and the walkways inside the fort provide the breathtaking views of the surroundings.

The World's largest cannon on wheel, Jaiban, is to be found here. There is a huge water pit close to the cannon at a lower level. It is believed that the sound generated by firing this cannon was so huge that people close by can become deaf. After firing from this cannon the person has to jump in the water pit to save himself.

View of cannon Jaiban kept under shade and covered by fence

Also of interest is the intricate water supply and storage system, which is considered a marvel of planning.

Next we will explore the Amber Fort.


P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

Along with palaces, and other attractions we set our eyes on exploring the most important tourist attractions of the city i.e., the forts. In Jaipur there are 3 most amazing forts - Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. In this as the title of the post suggests we will explore Nahargarh Fort.

This fort is also known by the name Tiger Fort. When seen from the air it forms marvelous sight along with other two forts. It occupies the Northern part of Jaipur on the Aravalli Hills. It is strategically placed to cushion Amer from the enemy attacks.

According to the legend, this fort was named after a dead Rathore prince, Nahar Singh, whose spirit used to haunt the site and would cause collapse of the construction of the fort. Later a Tantrik's prayer was arranged to drive away the spirit, who agreed to leave on the condition that the fort should be named after him. Hence the name. The entrance of the fort leads one into spacious and impressive main courtyard, with large ‘dwars’ on both sides embellished with decorative motifs of elephants, warriors on horseback, flowers and birds. There are also weather-worn cannon carriages that have faced the ravages of time.

The Monsoon Palace

This palace was designed by eminent Bengali architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. Built in two floors, the ground was for summer and the first floor for winter residence. It has nine suites, one for each of the nine queens of the maharajah. There are bathrooms, toilets, and kitchens, all well-lit and ventilated. An interesting feature is the long and architecturally elegant, but narrow, corridors, some with windows overlooking the main courtyard. It is believed that the these corridors were used by the maharajah to access each queen independently without the others having knowledge of his whereabouts, but hopeful of a visit nevertheless!

The doors and windows had colored panes, some of which are still intact. And some of the rooms still have Belgian mirrors adorning the walls. Even the brass door latches work. Each suite has the same design of floral and bird motifs. Even the hooks used for hanging the manually operated fans have painted designs to blend with those on the arches and in the niches. The plaster on the walls is of limestone, clean and smooth.

This is the top of the various suites of the palace.

Next we will explore the Jaigarh Fort.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Kumbalgarh, the Unconquered Fort

Next day early morning we left from Mount Abu towards our journey to Udaipur. On the way we visited quite a few marvelous places. One among them is Kumbhalgarh.

The most important tourist attractions here are:

The Fort

Rana Kumbh built this massive fort in 15th century in the Aravali ranges. A few kilometers of zigzag road through deep ravines and thick forests leads one to this fort. This massive fort stretches across 36 kms of the Aravali Mountains and is 1100 m high from the sea level. This is surrounded by thirteen mountain peaks, guarded by seven great gates and seven ramparts, strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watchtowers. This mountain fortress has been through many battles and has remained un-conquered.

The fort has seven gates and the last gate leads one to the palace. The first one is Arait Pol, where you can trace the watch-tower and Other gates are Hulla Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol, Bhairava Pol, Paghra Pol, Top-khana Pol and Nimboo Pol.

The seven ramparts folded with one another with designed walls toughened by curved bastions and huge watch towers. The strong structure of walls of the Fort made it unbeatable till date. The hefty walls of the fort are broad enough to stand eight horses side by side.

There are many palaces, temples and gardens inside this huge fort complex. It is believed that there are not less than 360 temples inside the complex of the Fort. Amongst all of them, Shiva Temple is worth visiting that comprises a huge Shivalinga (Phallic form).
On top of the fort is the Badal Mahal Palace or the Palace of Cloud. It encloses beautiful rooms with pleasant color schemes of green, turquoise and white. This palace is very different when compared to rest of the raw and grim fortress. The palace was rebuilt by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. The legendary Maharana Pratap was born here.

The Wildlife Sanctuary

Sited in the flourishing green zone of Udaipur, Kumbalgarh is the only sanctuary of Rajasthan, where one can see one of the rarely found wolfs. This is one of the few parks that allow people on horseback. The best time to visit the reserve is from October to June.

We did not visit this as we had not planned for this.

From Kumbalgarh, we traveled to Udaipur, City of Lakes.

Distance: Kumbalgarh ---> Udaipur 64 kms

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

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