Forts and palaces are the first things that come to mind while thinking of India. They have been depicted in many photographs and documentaries, after all, and they play a crucial role in the long history of the nation.
It is
therefore not unexpected that these architectural wonders are high on
travellers' "must-see" lists while visiting India. Rajasthan is home
to the majority of India's forts and palaces, which were constructed there by
Rajput military ruling clans (before being invaded by the Mughals). They are
particularly prevalent in Jaipur's Pink City. As relics from the Mughal era,
you can still find them in other states as well.
The former
royal proprietors of several of India's palaces have now transformed them into
hotels. After their royal position and privileges were removed by the Indian
Constitution in 1971, they needed to do this in order to make money. More
information on them can be found in this indispensable guide to Indian royal hotels.
Otherwise,
continue reading to learn about 14 of India's most spectacular public forts and
palaces.
Suggested Tour: Rajasthan Tours, Rajasthan Forts and Palaces Tour, South India Tours, Delhi
Sightseeing Tour
Must
Read: Top
Rajasthan Forts and Places you Must Visit
Amber
Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan
The most famous fort in India is likely Amber Fort. It is located about 20 minutes northeast of Jaipur in the little history town of Amber, also known as Amer. The fort's construction was started by the Rajput king Maharaja Man Singh I in 1592. It was expanded upon and inhabited by successive kings until Jaipur was created and the capital moved there in 1727.
The fort is
one of six Rajasthani hill forts that were included in the 2013 UNESCO World
Heritage list (the others are Jaisalmer Fort, Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh,
Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, and Amber Fort). A beautiful fusion of Hindu and
Mughal elements can be seen in its construction. The fort complex, which is
made of white marble and sandstone, has a number of courtyards, palaces, halls,
and gardens. The Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), with its beautifully carved,
sparkling walls and ceilings, is generally recognised as its most attractive
feature.
Mehrangarh
Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
In addition to being among the best forts in India, Mehrangarh Fort is also among its most spectacular and well-kept forts. It was constructed by the ruling Rathore Rajput family, and from its lofty perch on a rocky hill, it towers above the "Blue City." When King Rao Jodha moved his capital to Jodhpur in 1459, work on the fort began. However, following kings continued to work on the project well into the 20th century. The fort's architecture is incredibly varied as a result.
Mehrangarh
Fort, in contrast to other Rajput forts that were eventually abandoned, is
still under the control of the royal family. They have renovated it and made it
into a top tourist destination with a collection of palaces, museums, and
eateries. The fort's emphasis on folk music and art sets it different from
other forts in Rajasthan. Every day in the fort, several venues host cultural
performances. Additionally, the fort serves as the setting for renowned music
festivals including the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in October and
the yearly World Sacred Spirit Festival in February.
Jaisalmer
Fort, Rajasthan
There aren't
many places in the world where you can go see a "live" fort, but one
of them is Jaisalmer in the Thar desert. Thousands of people have lived in the
city's mirage-like golden sandstone fort for many generations. There are
numerous stores, hotels, restaurants, a royal complex, historic haveli homes,
and temples inside the fort as well.
One of the first forts in Rajasthan was constructed by the Bhati Rajput prince Rawal Jaisal in 1156. It ultimately grew to span the entire hill and changed into a city, which saw a rise in population during times of strife. The fort endured multiple conflicts. However, because of unauthorised building and inadequate drainage, its state is currently fast deteriorating. The fort has had sewage leaking into its foundations, which has made it unstable and led to several of its components collapsing.
Udaipur
City Palace, Rajasthan
Romantic The
city of palaces and lakes is Udaipur. Mewar monarch Maharana Udai Singh II
established it in 1559, and after the Mughals invaded Chittorgarh, the capital
of the kingdom was moved there. The City Palace Complex is located in the
centre of it, close to Lake Pichola. Notably, the Mewar royal family continues
to live there in part today. The development of it into a tourist destination
that vividly depicts the history of the Maharanas of Mewar is to be commended.
The City Palace Museum is the "jewel in the crown," if you'll excuse
the expression.
The City
Palace, which consists of the Mardana Mahal (King's Palace) and Zenana Mahal
(Queen's Palace), is included in the museum. It is the oldest and largest
portion of the City Palace Complex, having been built over a period of four and
a half centuries. Along with the rare private royal galleries, artwork, and
pictures, the architecture is the main draw.
Chittorgarh,
Rajasthan
The enormous
Chittorgarh Fort, one of the biggest forts in India, is recognised as the best
fort in Rajasthan. It covers over 700 acres! The fort was governed by Mewar
monarchs for eight centuries before Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, stormed and took
control of it in 1568. In the end, Jehangir, Akbar's eldest son, returned the
fort to the Mewars in 1616. They never relocated there, though.
Due to its
immensity, it is best to explore the fort by car, and it is advisable to set
aside at least three hours to do so. Even if some of it is in ruins, the
remnants of its previous splendour may still be seen. Old palaces, temples,
towers, and a reservoir where fish can be fed are among the attractions. For a
breathtaking view, climb to the top of Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory).
Chittorgarh
is situated in southern Rajasthan, almost halfway between Delhi and Mumbai, and
is just over two hours' drive from Udaipur. From Udaipur, it is simple to visit
as a day trip or side trip.
Kumbhalgarh,
Rajasthan
The second-longest continuous wall in the world, Kumbhalgarh's majestic fort wall is more than 35 kilometres long and is frequently referred to as "The Great Wall of India" (the Great Wall of China is the first).
Maharana
Pratap, a legendary ruler and warrior who was born in 1540 in the residence
known as Jhalia ka Malia and is the great, great grandson of Rana Kumbha, is
another reason why Kumbhalgarh is well-known (Palace of Queen Jhali). He took
over as the monarch of Mewar from his father, Udai Singh II, who was also the
creator of Udaipur. He refused to give in to the Mughals despite Emperor
Akbar's negotiations, in contrast to many other local kings. This led to the
legendary Haldi Ghati fight in 1576, which was significant to the history of
India.
The fort is
located just over two hours drive north of Udaipur, in Rajasthan's Rajsamand
district. It's popularly visited on a day trip or side trip from Udaipur. It's
possible to hire a car there from one of the numerous travel agencies. Many
people combine visiting Kumbhalgarh with Haldi Ghati or the Jain temples at
Ranakpur.
Jaipur
City Palace, Rajasthan
Maharaja
Sawai Jai Singh II primarily constructed the City Palace Complex between 1729
and 1732, and it is located in the heart of Jaipur's Old City. He had been
effectively governing from the adjacent Amber Fort, but in 1727 he decided to
move his capital to Jaipur due to growing population and water scarcity.
While the
remainder of the palace has been transformed into the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh
II museum, the royal family still resides there in the Chandra Mahal portion
(where their family flag is flown when the Maharaja is in residence). You can
take the Royal Grandeur trip within the interior of the Chandra Mahal for a
substantial cost (2,500 rupees for foreigners and 2,000 rupees for Indians). If
so, you'll just have to settle for touring the remainder of the palace.
Agra
Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Despite the
Taj Mahal's terrible overshadowing of it, Agra Fort is a moving precursor to
the masterpiece and should be viewed before it. The fort was the first
substantial Mughal fortress in India, and during the height of the Mughal
empire, it served as the capital of four generations of powerful Mughal kings.
Additionally, it received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983, making it one
of the earliest places in India to do so.
Emperor
Akbar built the fort in its present configuration when he chose to
strategically establish a new capital in Agra in the 16th century. He primarily
built it as a military outpost. Later, during the 17th century, Emperor Shah
Jahan, Akbar's grandson, constructed the sumptuous white marble palaces and
mosques. (He loved white marble so much that he used it to build the Taj
Mahal.)
Red Fort, Delhi
The position
of the fort in Old Delhi, across from Chandni Chowk, is intriguing and adjacent
to Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India and another magnificent Old
City asset. During the Navaratri festival and Dussehra, the area around the Red
Fort really comes to life with festivals and Ram Lila performances.
Gwalior
Fort, Madhya Pradesh
The fort's history can be traced as far back as 525. Over the years, it was subjected to many attacks and had many different rulers. It wasn't until the reign of the Rajput Tomar dynasty that the fort really rose to prominence, and was built to its current scale and grandeur. During this time, ruler Raja Man Singh Tomar crafted one of the fort's main highlights, Man Mandir Palace, between 1486 and 1516. Its outer walls are distinctively decorated with blue mosaic tiles and rows of yellow ducks. Later on, the Mughals used the fort as a prison during their rule.
The Hathi
Pol (Elephant Gate), the fort's most impressive gate, is on its eastern flank
and connects to the Man Mandir palace. However, getting there entails a hard
climb past a number of additional gates and is only accessible on foot. Urvai
Gate, the western gate, is easily accessible by car but isn't quite as
magnificent. However, don't skip the magnificent Jain sculptures carved into
the rock along the way up. The fort's outdoor amphitheatre hosts a sound and
light display every evening.
Golconda
Fort, Hyderabad
The Golconda
Fort ruins, which lie outside of Hyderabad, are a well-liked day trip from the
city. The Kakatiya Kings of Waranga erected the fort in the 13th century, when
it was once a mud fort. However, it peaked from 1518 and 1687 during the Qutub
Shahi dynasty.
Golconda
Fort later became well-known for its diamond market during the 17th century.
The region has produced some of the most valuable diamonds ever discovered.
There are a
lot of drawbridges, temples, mosques, royal rooms and halls, stables, and
drawbridges among the fort's remains. Its bastions still have cannons atop
several of them. The fort's architecture and unique acoustic design, though,
are what make it very fascinating. The main entrance to the fort, Bala Hissar
Gate, can be heard clearly more than a kilometre distant if you clap while
standing in a specific location underneath the dome at Fateh Darwaza (Victory
Gate). Evidently, this was done to alert the royal inhabitants of an impending
attack.
Mysore
Palace, Karnataka
The Maharaja's Palace, often known as the Mysore Palace, is a relatively new palace in Indian terms. Henry Irwin, a British architect, created the design, and it was built between 1897 and 1912. The Wodeyar monarchs, who initially constructed a palace in Mysore in the fourteenth century, are the owners of the current palace. It was, however, repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Fire destroyed the former palace, which was constructed of wood in a Hindu style. The current palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style, which combines Rajput, Hindu, Islamic, and Gothic elements.
The marble
domes are the palace's most striking feature. Some could argue that its opulent
interiors are excessive. There are marriage halls, antique doll pavilions,
armouries, galleries of royal paintings, and collections of sculptures and
antiquities in addition to private and public audience halls. Unfortunately,
taking pictures inside is not allowed.
Chitradurga
Fort, Karnataka
On the way
to Hampi from Bangalore or Mysore, Chitradurga Fort is worth the stop. You
might easily spend an entire day exploring its huge area and discovering all of
the legends connected to it. There is a lot of climbing and walking involved,
so make sure you wear comfortable shoes!
The fort is
located on a group of rugged hills that cover 1,500 acres. It was built
gradually between the 10th and the 18th centuries by kings of numerous
dynasties, including the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagars, and
Nayakas. However, when the Nayakas acquired control of Chitradurga following
the collapse of the Vijayanagar empire, they carried out the majority of the
fortification construction during the 16th and 18th centuries. The ramparts of
the fort, which are formed of enormous pieces of granite that mix in with the
surrounding stones, give it the nickname "stone fort." The fort
appears to include 35 secret passageways and four invisible corridors in
addition to its multiple concentric walls, gateways, and entrances.
Furthermore, 2,000 watchtowers!
Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Despite
being one of Rajasthan's less well-known forts, Junagarh Fort is no less
spectacular. It's one of the few forts in India that isn't located on a
hilltop, which makes it particularly noteworthy. The city of Bikaner developed
up around the fort, which is in the middle of it.
The fort was
constructed by Raja Rai Singh, the sixth monarch of Bikaner, between 1571 and
1612. He was a widely-traveled expert in the arts and architecture, and the
magnificent constructions of the fort are evidence of this expertise. Expensive
palaces, ladies’ quarters, audience halls, temples, and pavilions were later
erected by emperors.
Chintamani
was the fort's original name. When the royal family moved to Lalgarh Palace
beyond the fort's boundaries at the beginning of the 20th century, the fort was
renamed Junagarh (Old Fort). They still keep it up, though, and have let people
visit a portion of it. There are two museums with numerous interesting royal
antiques and memorabilia, as well as guided tours available.
Taragarh
Fort, Bundi, Rajasthan
As Bundi castle as well. In the fourteenth century, king Prithviraj Chauhan constructed it. situated in northern Bundi, India, atop a hilltop. The castle is not well kept, although it is not in total disrepair; rather, it has a worn-out architecture.
Despite its unimpressive exterior, its inner beauty is still shining today. Beautiful murals and paintings cover the castle walls in abundance. There are so many tunnels, both above ground and below, that they form a maze and some have been declared inaccessible for fear of getting lost. This adds to the mystery of the place.
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