Chittorgarh: The Devoted Fort

The Chambhuja dedicated to Rana Kumbha in front of the Kumbha Shyaam Temple

Chittorgarh is known for its sacrifices and wars. But that's not all. Chittorgarh had seen secular harmony and religious wonders too. Here, we see numerous, abandoned, broken and intact temples, Talabs, Kunds and Temple complexes that were meant for the religious rituals of the people of Chittorgarh.

A structure near the Meera Temple

Meera Bai, the saint poetess, and Princess of Merta was married to Rana Sanga's eldest son Bhoj Raj, in 1513 AD, at the age of 14. She had as a child had one day seen a wedding procession and was eager to know who the groom was. She constantly bugged her mother about who was her groom and her mother pointed to the Krishna Idol saying " Ve rahe apka Vaar." The child took each word seriously as she stayed all day with her idol, talking to him, feeding him and bathing him, calling him her husband. At first, people thought it to be a child's play. Until one day, attracted by the sound of music from the Bhajans of a nomadic group, Meera walked out of her palace in Merta, barefoot and in a trance. Tragedy followed as she lost her mother at the age of nine, and was shifted to the care of her grandfather Rao Dudha of Jodhpur. Her aunt, mother to elder brother Jaimal (not the one who died in Chittor) was miffed by her madness and decided it would all stop once she is married.

Twelve-year-old Meera couldn't understand, her mother had already given her a groom, why did she need another? Rana Sangram Singh was a friend to Rao Dudha and his first son Bhojraj of marriageable age. Being the heir apparent and a suitable groom, and also a lover of music and poetry, he seemed to be a perfect match.

As Meera became friends with Bhojraj after their marriage she found a protector. While they both had lost their mothers at a young age, Karnavati, his stepmother loved Meera. Protests came in the name of his own sibling, sister and his brother Vikramaditya who called Meera mad. Bhojraj protected and defended her devotion as an act of faith. He encouraged her Bhajans, and writings and even allowed her to go to the religious gatherings at the Kumbha Shyaam Temple complex at midnight. All was well until one day at war in 1526 AD Bhojraj died. Rana Sanga protected the young widow of his son and even set up the Krishna Temple now known as Meera Temple for her. She spends all day praying and singing there with her Sakhi Lolita.

Architecture at the Meera Temple

Vikramaditya succeeded Sangram Singh after his second son Ratan Singh II also perished fighting Babar. Once on the throne, the alcoholic and lustful Vikramaditya had his eyes on Meera and wanted to marry her. Karnavati decided that it was time for Meera needed to leave Chittor. At the death of the night, She led her daughter-in-law out of the Suraj Pol. Meera left her Girdhaar, gifted to her by her mother, in Karnavati's care and moved to Merta and finally to Vrindavan. When Rana Udai Singh became king, he went to take her back to Chittor thrice in 1541, after his son was born, in 1543 and lastly in 1547. On the last visit, Meera couldn't refuse her brother like Rana so she decided to end her worldly attachments once and for all as the dawn arrived with only Meera's saree wrapped around her Girdhar and no sign of the lady. People believed she became one with her Lord.

Meera Bai's Original Girdhar

Her devotion became Chittor's message of love to the world. With her, Chittor's fortune seemed to go as a siege followed Karnavati's Jauhar, then Banbir killed Vikramaditya and finally, the Afghans took over Udai Singh's Chittor. Wars with Bundi Marwar and the Mughals followed until the final siege by Akbar within two decades of Meera's demise.

The Kumbha Shyaam Temple is a temple that was initially dedicated to Vishnu and later to Krishna under Meera Bai's influence on Vaishnavism. Rana Kumbha made this temple dedicated to his Aradhya, Lord Vishnu. The architecture of this temple is very delicate and detailed and describes many stories of the Puranas. The Queens of Chittorgarh used to pay their daily respects to the lord here. The Kumbha Shyaam Temple even today has devotees pouring in to offer prayers.

Pillars of the Kumbha Shyaam Temple

The Talabs and Kunds of Chittorgarh have stories attached to them from both mythologies as well as history. None of the Kunds today is clean like they used to be and many have even dried up. The Mandakini Kund, Bhimlat Kund and Surya Kund are famous. Kings used to bathe in the Surya Talab, and Queens used to offer their prayers in the Mandakini Kund. The Vishnu Talab is also very famous. The Gaumukh Kund, now the largest surviving reservoir, was named so as the water enters the Kund from a Cow's head-shaped structure.

Vishnu Talab

Gaumukh Kund

The Gaumukh Kund is near the Samadhiswara Shiva temple. This ancient temple has its roots traced back to the time of the Mahabharat when both Bheem and Arjun, Shiva devotees, paid their respect to the Lord here. It is also believed that Princess Krishna, later Draupadi also used to come here. This temple was reconstructed by Rana Kumbha nearly a hundred years after Allauddin Khilji destroyed it during his siege of Chittorgarh. There are numerous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati in the region, the most famous being Kalika Mata Temple and Amba Devi Temple.

Nandi at Shiva temple

Samaddhiswara Temple

The thousands of smaller temples of Chittorgarh were broken by the various invaders with time. Akbar, during the last, siege is believed to have destroyed 56 temples in Chittorgarh constructed by the Royals of the Sisodia Family.