Kumbhalgarh Fort

Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the five hill forts of Rajasthan that were declared the UNESCO world heritage site in 2013. Situated in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, around 82 kilometres from Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh Fort has the second largest wall (38km) after the Great Wall of China. Constructed on the foothills of Aravalli ranges, it is surrounded by thirteen hill peaks of the ranges and is perched at an elevation of 1,914 m. The magnificent fort is situated in the middle of a forest which has been turned into a wildlife sanctuary. It is the second-largest and the most important Mewar fort of Rajasthan after Chittorgarh palace.

Under the reign of Mewar kings in Rajasthan, the majestic fort was built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century between AD 1443 and 1458 under the direction of Mandan who was a very renowned architect of that time. The fort was constructed in the exact same place where an old castle existed which was attributed to Samprati who was a Jaina prince of the second century BC. Named after the King Kumbha, the Kumbhalgarh fort was cleverly designed on a hilltop to provide the strategic position to the Mewar kings to protect them against the attacks of the enemy.

The fort is also the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, one of the most powerful kings of Mewar. Also, Badal Mahal was constructed inside the fort by Rana Fateh Singh, who was one of the most famous builders of the time. Badal Mahal, Kumbha Palace, Jain Temples, Baoris, Chhattris, water reservoirs and Brahmanical are some of the main buildings inside the spectacular fort.

Visiting Hours

The fort is opened for the tourists from 9:00am to 6:00pm. The fort is very big and it takes around two to three hours to visit the whole fort. Light and sound show is also arranged daily at 6:45pm whose duration is 45 minutes. In this show, history of Kumbhalgarh can be viewed through music, sound, and light.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Kumbhalgarh Fort is from October to March. In this period, the climate is pleasant though December and January are chilly. In the rest of the months that is from April to September, the climate is very hot as is not suitable to visit the fort.

Things to do inside the Fort

As the Kumbhalgarh Fort walls cover a mind dazzling length of 36 km it’s often called ‘the great wall of India’. It’s the second-largest wall in the world. This means the fort covers quite an area and there are quite a few things you can do inside of the Kumbhalgarh Fort walls.

Climb to the roof

You can follow the path that most visitors follow, which is straight to the top roof of the Kumbhalgarh Fort. It will take you about 30-45 minutes to get there if you take your time to look around for beautiful views over the surrounding hills.

There will be stairs, steep roads and fort gates which you’ll have to pass to get to the roof. When you walk up, try to imagine how difficult it must have been to capture this fort. In fact, the Kumbhalgarh Fort actually never was taken by force. That’s how well it was built as a defence.

You climb up to the rooftop of the Kumbhalgarh Fort and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. (if you can see them when it’s not too cloudy)

Walk on the Fort walls

If you let yourself a bit more time inside of the Kumbhalgarh Fort, you can take a short or long walk on the fort walls. In total length, they are 36km long. And as they are the second-longest walls in the world (behind the Great Wall of China), they can offer quite unique views on the green hills that surround the Kumbhalgarh Fort.

Some of the viewpoints in the Kumbhalgarh fort area are breathtaking.

Hang out in the viewpoint areas

Whenever you walk up to the top roof of the Kumbhalgarh Fort or you take a stroll on the fortified walls, you’ll notice that there are a couple of viewpoint areas. These places offer great views over the surroundings and they are perfect for good photography or just a minute of gazing at the view.

Tip: they are also great spots for a quick snack, lunch or refreshing drink as a break. Probably some of the best viewpoints in Rajasthan, India.

Another viewpoint from a small temple at the base of the fort, just next to the entrance.