The impregnable and unassailable Kumbhalgarh fort
has given warriors of great repute a run for their bravery and
fighting skills, recalls Suverchala Kashyap

Echoes from the past

JADED walls tell enchanting tales of years gone by. Whispering winds brush past, with talk of upright kings, chivalry and valour. Empty halls still seem to resound with the tinkling laughter of beautiful princesses and queens, their maids in attendance. Passages reverberate with ecstatic and fleeting love. It is, as if these very walls have been witness to many a romance and betrayal. Colourful images, so vivid, so clear — seem to flit by. One can almost hear the anklets, and the clamour of the weapons, as overwhelmed one stands alone, within the awesome fort.

Folklore, legend, history and superstitions, all seem to have undergone a strange mix over a period of time lending that mysterious touch to the already majestic and historic place; strange echoes emanate from the overbearing ramparts and buttresses, spiralling one back in time.

This is Kumbhalgarh, an impregnable and unassailable fort, that for years gave warriors of great repute a run for their bravery and fighting skills. It is situated at a distance of 84 km from the present Udaipur, (which was built much later by Maharana Udai Singh, a grandson of Rana Kumbha). It stood its ground against many a plunderer giving the king and his subjects a place to hide and attack with ease and expertise. It, however, fell but, once, to the forces of Akbar, for a short while though, only to be won back by the invincible Rana Pratap.

This was the fort where the rulers of Mewar sent their households when Chittor, and much later Udaipur, was under threat or faced an uncertain future. When the men went out to the battlefield, the women, children, the old, the infirm and the protection forces were packed off to Kumbhalgarh, where everyone led an absolutely normal life, safely ensconced, till the warring men came home.

Built by a visionary king, Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, it was the second most important bastion of Mewar after Chittorgarh. Perched high on a hill, at a height of 3,568 ft, its problematic accessibility safeguarded it. Covering over 12 sq km, the precincts of the fort comprise several temples, places, farms, water sources and kitchen gardens-everything that is required for withstanding a long siege. Its wide walls are so built that no ladder could scale it and nearly eight horses could ride abreast showing off their military might to the invaders below. This outermost wall runs all around and is nearly 36 km long. The interested tourist or a historian would love the walk along it, though at places it is badly damaged now.

From the time Rana Kumbha ascended the throne, in 1433 A D after the assassination of his father Mokul, to the fateful day in 1468 A D, when he was done to death by one of his sons, Udhna (also called Udhna Hatiaro — the murderer), his was an eventful reign full of triumphs and colours. Just as he sat silently overlooking the ravines and valleys of Mewar and Gujarat reflecting on the glory of having defeated the armies of Ahmed Shah of Gujarat, Mehmud Khilji of Malwa and the Muslim Governor of Nagore, came his untimely end.

Rana Kumbha was an extremely devout king and was also a patron of the arts and music. In its hey day the fort was chock-a-block with people, complete villages within the precincts with nearly 365 temples dedicated to different gods. One temple that the Rana visited every morning when he happened to be in Kumbhalgarh was the Shiv temple — the highlight of which is the nine-foot high Shivling with a nearly 4 ft wide girth. Legend goes that none other than the Rana could perform puja until and unless they stood on a high pedestal, for it was too high for a person of average height. But, the Rana, who was believed to be a good seven feet tall and equally hefty could do it with ease.

The fort lies near Kailwara village, on the site of a more ancient fortress, possibly built by Sammpriti, a Jain prince of the second century. According to prevalent folklore, it is believed that as the Rana, one day perturbed and bit restful, traversed the area looking for an ideal place to build his fortress that was both strategic and also served as an ‘eye of Mewar’, he came across a saint called Mer. The saint took him to the present site and said that if he abided by his words he would be protected for days to come. It is believed that the saint came up with a bizarre proposition — he was to stand at a point and chop off his own head, and the place where his body fell would be the main entrance of the fort and the point where his head fell would be the second main entrance leading to the inner palace or the famed Badal Mahal — which got its name from its high position, almost playing with the soaring clouds. It is also said that on a clear day one could see as far as Jodhpur from here.

If one goes on to believe the slightly gory story on which the foundations of the fort were laid, one is a little shaken. There are seven gates in all. The approach is impressive, across deep ravines and through thick jungle. In addition to the seven massive gates there are seven ramparts, one within the other, reinforced by rounded bastions and huge watch towers.

The first gate or the Arent Pol, is where the saint’s body fell and his head flew across a mile landing at the point where the Hulla Pol is. Inside this entrance there is a small shrine that marks the area where the great saint sacrificed his body to appease some divine energy in order to protect the fort. Similarly, there is the third gate or the Hanuman Pol, containing another shrine and temple. Then comes the Bhairav Pol which has a tablet ordering the exile of a treacherous prime minister in the 19th century. The fifth gate called the Stirrup or Paghra Pol, is where the cavalry gathered prior to the battle. Then comes the Canon Gate or the Tope-Khana Pol, which is supposed to have an underground secret passage, an escape tunnel.

The last gate is the Nimboo Pol or the gate of the lemon trees, near which is the temple of Chamundi. This is where the legendary Panna Dhai, managed to hide prince Udai Singh from his uncles, who wanted to kill him; substituting instead her own son and even seeing him being killed. This same prince, son of indomitable Rana Sanga, brother of Udhna, was later crowned as Maharana Udai Singh.

Hanuman Pol is also so called because of the statue of Hanuman, which was brought by Rana Kumbha from Mandor in Marwar. The Rana also carried away the beautiful princess of Jhalawar in Mandor, and her betrothed, the prince of Rathore, could do little to get her back. Such was the reputation of the invincible fort and its king, that the pining prince knew he could do nothing to win her back and from his Marwar he watched the twinkling lights of Mewar.

The story also goes that the flame or jyot that was lighted by the Rana above the highest gate could be seen by the people far and wide. The princess, however sent out coded messages through songs — giving him the clue of how to get there, but at the same time she said that if he wanted to win over the Rana "he must come in humility and not in fight, he must come abegging and not as an attacker". There are several songs that the bards used to sing and which have been preserved to date and are sung by the local villagers recounting the stories of the place.

The romance of the history of Mewar also talks of the legendary exploits of Kumbha’s grandson Prithviraj and his wife the heroic Tara Bai. It was for her that Prithviraj built the Taraburj that is visible from the Bhairav Pol. However, all their love and romance did not last long for Prithviraj died and in the Rajput tradition of the times Tarabai committed sati. There is now just a humble shrine overlooking the road leading to the statue of Prithviraj riding a horse and just a rubble marks the place where Tarabai’s grave once existed.

Being a connoisseur of art Kumbha took great interest in the aesthetic aspect of the fort and the palaces within. The fort is dotted with nearly 365 temples — Kumbhaswami, Neelkanth Mahadev, Nava-choki Mahadev. In the living quarters one enters a world far removed from the noise, heat of war. Kumbha and his architect Mandana spent, it seems, long hours designing beautiful surroundings to retreat, after the battlefield. Four centuries later, the murals still look as if they were done yesterday, so well preserved are they from wind and weather. Also, the innovative coating made from milk and egg-shells gives the walls a beautiful ivory finish.