VACATION DIARIES-3

KUMBHALGARH.Now, when I first heard about this place, my first thought was,”Why is this name so heavy,like,really, really heavy??”(I know, lame joke, right?). Now, for those who don’t know about ths place, it is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, in the Rajsamand district near Udaipur of Rajasthan state in western India.

Usually, people don’t go to see only this place, unless they have only few holiday days. People will usually visit this package of places together in one holiday- Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Kumbhalgarh, Shrinathji and various other places. But, this package of places(POP) also varies from one person’s interest to the other’s. By interest, I mean religious or tourist interest. If a person is visiting Rajasthan with a religious interest, his or her POP will include Shrinathji, Karnimata Temple(popular for the presence of RATS there), Ajmer Sharif Dargah,etc., while with a tourist interest, his or her POP will include major cities like Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur(for their forts and palaces), Jaisalmer(for it’s Indo-Pak border, deserts night stays,etc.) and a lot of other places. Some people even go with both interests.But, to properly explore Rajasthan, you need atleast 25-30 days.

Now, coming back to the original topic, Kumbhalgarh, today I am going to share with you my experience of Kumbhalgarh. People usually visit this place during the summer or winter season, so as to explore it’s forts, etc. without any fear of heavy rain pouring on them at any moment, but, me, being the different person I am, went there during the rainy season. So, more accurately, today I am going to share with you my rainy experience of Kumbhalgarh.

Now, you must be thinking that did I not hear her right or did she just say “heavy rain” because Rajasthan never has very heavy rains? But, no, you did not hear me wrong because I did say “heavy rain” because quite uniquely and strangely, when I went there in the rainy season, it was, indeed, unusually heavy.Also, I came to know that Kumbalgarh is one of the greenest places of Rajasthan.

There are not a lot of places to see there, but the few places that are to see are outright amazing. There are temples, palaces, forts, light and sound shows and a wildlife sanctuary too. The Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the best places you’ll ever see. Yeah, it’s kind of a long, steep climb, but while climbing, the walls and tunnels and their inscriptions are just so beautiful and interesting that you won’t even realise when you’re on top and once you’re on top, in the Badal Mahal, the view is so mesmerisingly pretty. Once on top, you should hire a guide to show you around the Badal Mahal and to explain to you it’s unique features like it’s bathrooms, natural AC(cold air) windows, etc.

FUN FACT=The walls of Kumbhalgarh Fort extend over 38kn and are claimed to be second longest continuous wall after the Great Wall of China.

In the evening, you can also enjoy the wonderful light and sound show at the fort itself. While the audience watches from a sitting area at the bottom of the fort, lasers and sounds come from all over the fort. It’s very beautiful but unfortunately, I missed it because of heavy rain pouring precisely at the time when the show just started.

Other than this, as I said before, you can visit the wildlife sanctuary(which I didn’t see due to the odd season), temples, etc. around it. At a distance from Kumbhalgarh, in Haldighati, there is the Maharana Pratap Museum and the Chetak Smarak(memorial) which are must-visits if you go there. Also, if you’re in Kumbalgarh, you cannot, by any chance, forget to eat the yummiest dish ever- DAL BATI WITH CHURMA!!! It’s so absolutely tasty and relishing.I had my first Dal Bati with churma at the Mahindra Resort and it was absolutely amazing.

So, that was my experience of Kumbhalgarh. Also, if you’re staying there for a couple of days, you should stay at a hotel with a lot of indoor activities like the Mahindra Resort, etc. because, as I said earlier, there is not much to see and explore there. But even then, Kumbhalgarh is a good place to go to if you’re looking for a small escape from your ususal city hustle-bustle. But again, wherever you are, have fun, stay safe and enjoy to your fullest.

Have you explored Kumbhalgarh? If you have, please feel free to share your experience in the comment box below.❤️

                                                “Hold the  fort, for I am coming!”