| Kumbhalgarh Fort | |
| Native Name: | कुम्भलगढ़ दुर्ग |
| Native Language: | Rajasthani |
| Location: | Rajsamand district, Rajasthan, India |
| Type: | Fortress |
| Coordinates: | 25.1489°N 73.5803°W |
| Built: | 15th century |
| Area: | 268ha (662 acres) |
| Designation1: | WHS |
| Designation1 Partof: | Hill Forts of Rajasthan |
| Designation1 Date: | 2013 (36th session) |
| Designation1 Type: | Cultural |
| Designation1 Criteria: | ii, iii |
| Designation1 Number: | 247 |
| Designation1 Free1name: | Country |
| Designation1 Free1value: |  India |
| Designation1 Free2name: | Region |
| Designation1 Free2value: | South Asia |
Kumbhalgarh (lit. "Kumbhal fort"), also known as the Great Wall of India,[1] is a fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills in the Rajsamand district of the Rajasthan state in India. Situated approximately from Udaipur, it was built during the 15th century by Rana Kumbha.[2] The wall of Kumbhalgarh is one of the longest continuous walls in the world, spanning 38 kilometers.[3] [4] It is also the birthplace of great king and military leader Maharana Pratap of Mewar.[5]
In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kumbhalgarh Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.[6]
The etymology of "Kumbhalgarh" originates from "Kumbha," denoting the ruler Rana Kumbha who constructed it, and "Garh," meaning fort.[7]
The early history of the fort could not be ascertained on account of lack of evidence. Before Rana Kumbha built the new fort, there was a small fort, limited to small hilly area, believed to have been built by King Samprati of the Maurya and was known as Matsyendra Durg. Rana Lakha won this entire area and plains of Godwar from Chauhan Rajputs of Nadol in late 14th century.[8]
Kumbhalgarh, as the fort we see it was built by Rana Kumbha who was the Rana of Mewar from the Sisodia rajput clan. Rana Kumbha took the aid of the famous architect of the era, "Mandan". Rana Kumbha's kingdom of Mewar stretched from Ranthambore to Gwalior and included large tracts of what is now Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Out of the 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have built 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate.[9]
Kumbhalgarh also separated Mewar and Marwar from each other and was used as a place of refuge for the rulers of Mewar at times of danger. A notable instance was in the case of Prince Udai, the infant king of Mewar who was smuggled here in 1535, when Chittor was under siege. Prince Udai later succeeded to the throne. The fort remained impregnable to direct assault.
Ahmad Shah II of Gujarat attacked the fort in 1457, but found the effort futile. There was a local belief then that the Banmata deity in the fort protected it and hence he destroyed the temple. There were further attempts in 1458–59 and 1467 by Mahmud Khalji, but it also proved futile. Akbar's general, Shahbaz Khan, attacked this fort in October 1577 and after the siege of 6 months, he was able to capture the fort in April 1578. But it was recaptured by Pratap in 1583. In 1818, an armed band of sanyasis formed a garrison to protect the fort, but was convinced by James Tod and the fort was taken over by the British and later returned to Udaipur State. There were additions made by Maharanas of Mewar, but the original structure built by Maharana Kumbha remains. The residential buildings and temples are well-preserved.[9] The fort is also known to be the birthplace of Maharana Pratap.[10]
The chief architect who built this fort was Mandan, who documented his style of work in his text, Rajvallabh.[11] Built on a hilltop 1100m (3,600feet) above sea level on the Aravalli range, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36km (22miles), making it among the longest walls in the world.[12] The frontal walls are 4.5m (14.8feet). Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, both Jain and Hindu Temples. [13] From the palace top, it is possible to see Kilometres into the Aravalli Range.
Aaret Pol was the first entry gate of the fort. Halla Pol is on the downward slope from the entrance. Just after Halla Pol is Badshahi Bavdi, a stepped tank, built after the invasion of Shahbaz Khan in 1578, the general of Mughal emperor Akbar to provide water to the troops.[14]
Hanuman Pol, the next gate is half a KM away from Halla Pol. Hanuman Pol is a double-storeyed gate with octagonal bastions. The gate got its name from the stone image of Hanuman located in front of the gate, which was brought by Maharana Kumbha.[15]
Ram Pol is the main entrance of the fort, there is another entrance towards the east, called Vijay Pol.[16]
There are five more gates between Ram Pol to Badal Mahal, the Palace built on the highest point of the fort. Names of these gates are Bhairon Pol, Nimboo Pol, Chaugan Pol, Pagda Pol and Ganesh Pol.[17]
Most buildings are visible from the Ram Pol.
The Rajasthan Tourism Department organises a three-day annual festival in the fort in remembrance of the passion of Maharana Kumbha towards art and architecture. Sound and light shows are organised with the fort as the background. Various concerts and dance events are also organised to commemorate the function. The other events during the festival are Heritage Fort Walk, turban tying, tug-of war and mehendi mandana among others.[29]
Six forts of Rajasthan, namely, Amber Fort, Chittor Fort, Gagron Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore Fort were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list during the 37th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh during June 2013. They were recognized as a serial cultural property and examples of Rajput military hill architecture.[30] [31]
This fort (Kumbhalgarh) is previously described as, as painted by William Westall with an engraving in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836[32]