A not so minor fort

Kumbhalgarh lies 182 km to the south-east of the princely city of Jodhpur. The fort is built on the Aravalli ranges, and its hero is Rana Kumbha.

There are certain placeswhere merely your first footstepstransport you to thetimes of clanging swords,neighing horses, helmeted soldiersand kings whose stories are steepedin valour. One among them is thefort town of Kumbhalgarh.

Kumbhalgarh lies 182 km to thesouth-east of the princely city ofJodhpur. The fort is built on theAravalli ranges, and its hero is RanaKumbha. Its ramparts run for alength of 36 km, second only to theGreat Wall of China.

The entry to the fort is quite dramatic;you have to go throughnumerous pols (arched gates). Thestory behind the fort's constructionis quite mystifying. Rana Kumbhahad planned to make the structureimpregnable, but whatever he builtcrumbled so often that the king consideredthe fort jinxed. A hermitsuggested human sacrifice to pleasethe lords. When no subject offeredhis life, the hermit put himself up forsacrifice. Only, he demanded thefirst pol be built where his head felland the main complex where hisbody finally dropped. The king kepthis promise there's a small templewhere the severed head landedand another on top of the fort at thepoint where the torso rested.

Generally, the main complex of afort is built first, followed by itsentrance at the base. But this fortwas built in the opposite manner.

Simplicity is the key
The builders had no time for intricatedesigns. The living quarters ofthe king, although strategicallylocated to get an all-round view, issimple. There is a small temple onthe way up, where the king paidobeisance before going to battle.There are also Jain temples insidethe complex, which predate the fortby several centuries. Lore has it thatthe queen of the ruler of Jodhpurwas so fascinated by Rana Kumbhathat she left to meet him. Her husbandbecame enraged and banishedher from the kingdom. Soon RanaKumbha mediated between themand offered the king a part ofMewar as a sign of the brotherlyaffection he felt for the queen.

There's a beautiful Shiva templeat the base with a four-foot lingam.They say that the king could sitcross-legged and still offer prayersto the deity quite easily, overlookingthe fact that he would have to be atleast eight feet tall to accomplishthat!

Our guide then sombrely told usthat Rana Kumbha was assassinatedinside this very temple by his sonUdai Karan. The fort is also thebirthplace of Rana Pratap; the roomwhere he was born still exists.

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