Bundi: The Invinsible Fort

Tired after a long train journey from Kolkata to Jaipur, we took a cab to Bundi. Bundi is not a very popular tourist destination so if you look for very nice hotels at convincing locations you will be disappointed. Bundi has two parts, the old city, with its narrow lanes and old Havelis and lakes and Pols (Gates), is where the Taragarh fort of Bundi stands. The place is mainly full of old Haveli Hotels and shops of Rajasthani antiques and handlooms with sky-high prices for foreigners. The new city has all the modern facilities and most high-end resorts and big hotels are in the new city from where the fort is not visible. But if you are a History Buff like me who wants to feel that you have travelled back in time then your stay should be in the old city only, within the fort walls.

The Hotel I chose was Haveli Katkoun where the family has renovated their forefather's haveli into a hotel with all modern amenities. Most rooms and rooftops give a clear view of the fort only at the back of the Hotel, the front overlooks a Talab built for the Maharaja's Surya namaskar, now a property of a heritage hotel run by the Bundi Royal Family. The best thing about the hotel is that the family itself cooks for you so if you want to try Rajasthani dishes this is the place for homemade Rajasthani food. The lanes are narrow, where autos are convenient options and one can easily spot a bunch of pigs and monkeys on the street as well as cows and bulls. Don't take food with you, the monkeys can come asking, otherwise, they stay away in peace.

View from the room of the Fort

Hotel Room At Bundi

Streets of Old Bundi

Now coming to the places to see, there of course is the huge Bundi Fort. Folktales say that Rana Kumbhakarna Singh of Mewar was so mesmerized by this fort that he decided to make one of his forts as invincible as this one, the Bundi people called it Nakal Bundigarh (Fake Bundigarh). However today, no one could say which fort out of the 56 built by Rana Kumbha. Other than that there was a step well built by one of the queens, Rani Ji Ki Bawri. The summer palace was built by the latter rulers who abandoned the fort, the Sukh Mahal. Temples adorn the city, the most famous one being the 84 Pillar Chatri dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are Bundi Burj and a few gardens as well. Our first stop is the Bundi Fort. It was a five-minute walk from the Hotel to the ticket counter of the fort. There was a signboard that read:

The Bundi Fort is popularly known as the Taragarh Fort. The main feature of this fort was the steep road that lead up to the fort, the steepest you will find. You have to literally trek your way up to the main Hathi pol of the palace. The fort was built as such to prevent easy attack by enemies on horses and elephants. And it might have worked as Bundi Fort was not attacked in any way.

The Soldier quarters of Taragarh

The steep road leading up the fort

City Walls of Bundi

The Hathi Pol at a distance, again notices the steep roads

The Hathi Pol, Main Door, Taragarh

The Bundi Fort was built by several rulers nearly for more than a hundred odd years. As far as the folktales go, Bundi was once part of the Jallore kingdom and hence ruled by the Songara dynasty, however, they eventually lost Bundi. Jallore Fort still stands ruined and neglected. Maharani Jaivanta Bai, wife of Rana Udai Singh of Mewar and mother to Maharana Pratap Singh was a Jallore Princess. Jallore is very close to the city of Bundi and as the local folktales go, as a child Kunwar Pratap and Jaivanta Bai spend their early childhood in Jallore and Bundi amidst the Afghan turmoils in Mewar until Chittor became safe after Udai Singh handed the fort's key to Shams Khan. So a huge part of his childhood was spent with his grandfather, who was also a friend to Rana Sanga listening to the Veer Gatha of his forefathers. Rao Surtan Singh, the then ruler of Bundi was an alliance to both Jallore and Mewar (unlike his character in the show) and was also the husband of one of Udai Singh's daughters. However, no building in his name stands today. It's like he didn't exist!

The Palace at the Taragarh Fort, which was mostly built during Rao Raja Ratan Singh's time when he gained Mansabs from the Mughals like all others welcomes you with a Vinayak temple. Passing the Hathi pol there is a garden separating the one floored Courthouse from the inner palace or Ranimahal that had three Manzil or floors. The Main Palace has a courtroom with a marble throne. There is a dance room with pillar decors and a large doorway separates the Ranimahal. The Jharokhas give a clear view of the Jheel and city while the Phool Mahal and Badal Mahal have royal Rajasthani Blue designs and pictures on the wall indicating the 10 Avatars of lord Vishnu. The Badal Mahal is the airy upper floor while the elephant pillared room is famous for its Ivory. The Ranimahal has a water bowl in the middle as decor, and what I loved the most were the footlights. The most famous Bundi Chitrasal is not to be missed in the premises of the Chattra Mahal, built by Rao Raja Chattrasal Hada who lost his life fighting for Dara's side in the battle of Samugarh. The rest of the expansions were done by his grandson Aniruddh Singh Hada after a brief rule of Rao Raja Bhim Singh under Aurangzeb's patronage. The most unique feature of Bundi is the Chitrashala or wall of portraits commisioned during the times of Chattrasal and Aniruddha. Photography is not allowed there to preserve the monument. The Fort however lacks proper maintenance from the government as well as the ASI. The ticket counter employee earns extra bucks as a guide but most of the things he said didn't match with the history.

commissioned

Ganpati Sthal at the entrance

Courtroom

Throne

Corridors

View from a Jharokha

Phool Mahal Walls

Elephant Pillars

Water pot in Badal Mahal

Foot Light System

The Rani Ki Bawri is amidst the new city walls and is a great example of architecture. The pillars depict the Parijat tree, the giver of life and the walls had several idols of Shiva and Vishnu in various manifestations. The hundred-odd steps lead down to the well that once had crystal clear water and was meant for the queen's Gangaur puja.

Lord Shiva at the Bawri

Pillars depicting Parijat tree

The step well

Pillars of the Bawri

The next stop was at the Sukh Mahal Summer Palace which was built by the later kings. It is a palace that you can only view from outside and the lake water is actually used for Bundi's drainage system nowadays and hence very ill-maintained.

The last thing we saw at Bundi was the 84 Pillar Cenotaph that falls on the outskirts on the way to Bijolia. It is yet another example of great architecture.

84 Pillared Cenotaph called Chatri

Shiva Idol inside

Paintings on the outer walls depict stories from Shiva Purana and Vishnu's Avatars. This one is Lord Shiva and Parvati.

Bundi is perfect for a one-day tour, early the next morning we took a cab via Bijolia and Menal to Chittorgarh. Baasi, the place where Kunwar Shakti Singh stayed after his tiff with Rana Udai Singh falls on the way. There also is Rajasthan's biggest tunnel on the way to Bijolia. The weather in Bundi in Mid Nov was hot during the day and cool in the evening. The sun rises really late there around 7AM and sets around 6.15PM. So the whole day is planned accordingly. Each building has separate tickets for Indians, Foreigners and Cameras. Children below 5 need no ticket and each building is open from 10 AM to 5.30PM. There is a government Museum in Bundi at the Sukh Mahal that remains closed on Thursdays and Sundays where photography is prohibited. It has a display of Indus Valley artefacts unearthed near Bundi as well as weaponry used during Medieval times. If you travel to Bundi from Bhilwara one can see a sign saying " Welcome to Bundi" and a bordering wall that still marks and separates the old states of Mewar and Bundi in the Aravalli forests of the Bhils.

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