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Rajasthan
( Nathdwara )
INTRODUCTION
It is a renowned
centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of
Krishna and Vishnu alike. It is a town devoted
totally to the Shrinathji. Let yourself be
carried away by the religious atmosphere as you
wander around the small market with tiny shops
selling portraits of Shrinathji, beads, silver
and meenakari mementoes, and other related
items. While you're there, don't forget to try
the special prasad, or temple offerings, and
sweets that are popular with the devotees . if
any one fort of Rajasthan had to be singled out
for its glorious history and its stories of
heroism, then it would be the fort of
Chittaurgarh. Countless tales of this rugged
fort and the battles fought here by its
legendary heroes fill the pages of history
books. Equally wet known were the Maharanis of
Chittaur. As you explore the fort and its
various palaces and temples do look out for
Rani Padmini's Allauddin Khilji so much that he
set out to attack the fort and win her in
battle. A fierce battle was fought, 7000
warriors lost their lives but the Sultan could
not get Padmini. The Maharani, with her entire
entourage, committed Jauhar. It is one of the
Chittaurgarh's most enduring stories and one
that is told and re-told countless times.
Travel to the
west of Chittaurgarh to reach the second
most important bastion of Mewar -
Kumbhalgarh. Covering an area of 12 sq. Km.
this formidable fort fell only once to the army
of Akbar and that too because the water supply
was contaminated by the enemy forces. Even
today, it is one of the most inaccessible forts
of Rajasthan and reached with great difficulty.
It serves as a refuge to the rulers of Mewar in
times of stife and contained within its
ramparts almost an entire township,
selfcontained to withstand a long siege.
Explore the huge complex and see for yourself
how well prepared the rulers had to be. Some
areas of interest are the palaces and temples
and water storage tanks. It is at a height of
100 meters and if you walk along the ramparts
you can get some areas has been turned into
farmland but in the olden days these were the
grounds on which many battle was fought. The
fort is also significant for being the
birthplace of Maharana Pratap.
This region is
famous for its marble, miniature paintings,
Kundan and Meenakari work and clay and wooden
products. The colourful mud panels of Molela
are available in Udaipur.
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