Chittor Fort
| Chittor Fort | |
|---|---|
| Part of Chittorgarh | |
| Rajasthan, India | |
A view of Chittorgarh Fort
|
|
 Chittor Fort
|
|
| Coordinates | 24°53′11″N 74°38′49″E / 24.8863°N 74.647°E |
| Site history | |
| Battles/wars | Mewar Kings against Allauddin Khilji in 1303 AD, Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat in 1535 AD and Emperor Akbar in 1568 AD |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Mauryas of Chittor, Guhilas of Medapata, Sisodias of Mewar |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii |
| Designated | 2013 (36th session) |
| Part of | Hill Forts of Rajasthan |
| Reference no. | 247 |
| State Party | India |
| Region | South Asia |
The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is today situated in the Chittorgarh town. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort precinct has several historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemoration towers. These monumental ruins have inspired the imagination of tourists and writers for centuries.
From 7th century, the fort was ruled by the Mewar Kingdom. It was attacked three times by Muslim rulers: In 1303 Allauddin Khilji defeated Rana Ratan Singh, in 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat defeated Bikramjeet Singh and in 1567 Akbar defeated Maharana Udai Singh II who left the fort and founded Udaipur. Each time the men fought bravely rushing out of the fort walls charging the enemy but lost every time. Following these defeats, the women are said to have committed Jauhar or mass self-immolation. Thus, the fort represents the quintessence of tribute to the nationalism, courage, medieval chivalry and sacrifice exhibited by the Mewar rulers of Sisodia and their kinsmen and women and children, between the 7th and 16th centuries. The rulers, their soldiers, the women folk of royalty and the commoners considered death as a better option than dishonor in the face of surrender to the foreign invading armies.
In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Chittorgarh Fort, along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Chittorgarh, located in the southern part of the state of Rajasthan, 233 km (144.8 mi) from Ajmer, midway between Delhi and Mumbai on the National Highway 8 (India) in the road network of Golden Quadrilateral. Chittorgarh is situated where National Highways No. 76 & 79 intersect.
...
Wikipedia