Fort Kumbalgarh in Rajasthan shines with all its legends and stories.
Little-known Kumbalgarh in Rajasthan is a place full of ironies. This quaint spot in the wild lies at the foot of Kumbalgarh fort, the stature of which is by no means proportionate to the tiny and otherwise obscure town.
The 15th-century fort wall runs for 36 km and is believed to be second only to the Great Wall of China. While it is surprising that not more than a handful of people you would come across have heard of this place, Kumbalgarh’s understated quality lies in being out of the limelight. It’s at a safe distance from the commercial messiness of other cities of Rajasthan.
We had not seen the fort yet the afternoon our group of four arrived at Kumbalgarh. After a heavy Rajasthani thali it was only fair that the rustling breeze lulled us to sleep, and the five-hour drive from Jaipur had exhausted us more than necessary. That evening, as we woke to a sky gently turning dark, we hastily swung on warm clothing and drove a kilometre up from our camp towards the fort, settled 3,000 metres above sea level.
Every day at dusk, a portion of the fort is lit up for a short while, the locals told us, between 6.15 and 6.45 pm, though a sound-and-light show is not yet in the way of things. But, as we reached the main darwaza to the fort, the security guard sent us away, chiding us for being late and asking us to return the next day. Standing at the foot of the fort, all we were able to see was a silhouetted slice of a fraction of the wall, and the main palace high up to the left.
The next morning, the sun shone bright. It was a perfect day to wind our way around the expanse. There was enough sunlight for great pictures, paired with a cool breeze that saved us from sweating furiously. We walked up the steps and along the great wall, and in front of us lay the Aravallis, the mild, unthreatening hills that they are.
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The fort snaked past us lazily up and down the hills, as far as we could see and well beyond. We constantly panned our heads, trying to capture the beginning and the end all in one frame, which proved to be impossible. Atop the range of hills on either side, the fading fort walls were camouflaged with the shrub-covered brown hills, disappearing from sight. Some comparison with the Great Wall of China seemed unquestionable.
But differences too were aplenty. Stray temples, palaces and chattris dotted the expanse, a pretty sight from every angle. Undeniably the best view was offered from the terrace of the main palace, the highest point in the entire area.
Unfortunately, what seems like restoration work at this fort comes across merely as half-hearted hasty attempts to breathe more life into the weathered walls and temples. At the Gole Rao group of temples in one section of the fort enclosure, just as we began admiring the temple sculptures, the restoration work done on the temple domes stuck out like a sore thumb. Now they resemble mounds of cement.
Since restoration work in limestone is nothing new in Rajasthan, these attempts seem surprisingly tacky, taking away much of the majesty of its history. The fort had for centuries provided refuge to the rulers of Mewar, and it is said it remained unconquered due to its inaccessibility. Built by Rana Kumbha, this 600-year-old fort is where Rana Pratap was born. Now, if you are someone who likes having a local guide rattling off facts and myths by the dozen, you might have to look around a little for one over here.
We, including other tourists around us, were mercifully left alone; nobody pestered us with memorabilia, there weren’t any persistent guides, and no one asked us if we needed a hotel or motel for the night. In season, though, one must book in advance, and you can take your pick from luxury camps at Dera, Club Mahindra, a more upscale Aodhi, and a few other smaller places. Largely, however, we noticed tourists coming into town just for the day, typically staying the night at Udaipur, Jodhpur or Jaipur instead.
A quick visit to the fort can, surely, give you an idea of what you didn’t know all this while, of this 36 km-long, impressive fort... But, for the city-dwelling, tightly scheduled lot: let Kumbalgarh massage your senses for a little while longer.
