Mesmerizing Mewar: A Dream Trip

Introducing: Mesmerising Mewar—A Journey Through Time, Valour, and Heritage

If you’ve ever been enchanted by the echoes of medieval legends, Rajputana is nothing short of a pilgrimage for history lovers. For me, returning to Rajasthan, after wandering through the golden sandscapes of Amer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Jaisalmer, meant something different this time. This was the heartland. This was Mewar, Mesmerising Mewar, to be precise.

Why Mewar, Why Now?

My lifelong fascination with India’s storied past, fueled by riveting historical dramas, and especially by my admiration for “Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap”, meant that this journey was more than just travel. It was a dream come true, a chance to walk the same soil that Maharana Pratap once called home, to experience the land he cherished and defended. I wanted to see the mosaic of history, culture, and resilience that is Mewar.

First Impressions: Time Travel in the Villages of Mewar

Arriving in Bundi and crossing into Mewar, I felt I’d slipped into a time machine. The roads named Kuthariyon ki Gali, Rani ki Bagh are plucked straight from centuries-old chronicles. Locals still refer to their royals as “Baisa,” and scenes of rural life remain anchored in tradition. Children play, women draw water, temples and lakes pulse with activity, and the forests are still alive with leopards, bears, and wild cats just as they would have been 600 years ago.

A drive through Mewar is a lesson in living history; the names, the customs, and the landscape itself echo the legends of valour and sacrifice for which this region is known.

What to Expect in the "Mesmerising Mewar" Series

This blog series, Mesmerising Mewar, will transport you through the very heart of Rajputana’s legacy, following my travels, my photographs, and personal experiences from each historical marvel. Here’s a sneak peek at the journey ahead:

Bundi: The Invincible Fort
Bijolia: The Nature and the History of a Small Town
Chittorgarh: The Dream Destination (with in-depth sub-stories on...)
- The Story of Sacrifices (Kumbha Palace, Sringaar Chauri, tales of Rana Kumbha, Rani Karnavati, Panna Dai, and Kunwar Pratap)
- The Towers of Faith and Victory (Vijay Stambh, Kirti Stambh)
- The Devoted Fort (Meera Bai, ancient talabs and temples)
- The First Jauhar (Padmini Palace, Jauhar Sthal, Padmavati’s legend)
- The Final Siege (Mohor Magri, historic battlegrounds)
Udaipur: The Modern Heritage
Eklingji, Nagda, Nathdwara, Ranakpur, Delwara: The Religious History
Kumbhalgarh and Gogonda: Witnesses of Turmoil
Haldighati: The First War of Independence
Chavand: The Maharana's Capital
Mewar: Food, Culture, and Dreams

The Journey Begins: An Itinerary Carved by History

Our expedition starts in Bundi, the neighbouring city to what was once the princely state of Mewar (now split among Udaipur and Bhilwara districts). From Bundi, a scenic three-hour drive brings you through Menal and Bijolia, famous for their temples and the tranquil Bhimlat Mahadev waterfalls, toward the fabled ramparts of Chittorgarh. After exploring Chittorgarh, we journey onward to Udaipur by cab, a four-hour drive laced with stories and ever-changing countryside.

From the lakeside haven of Udaipur, history stretches in all directions: you’ll be within an hour or two’s drive of Kumbhalgarh, Gogunda, Eklingji, Chavand, Kakroli, Rajsamand, Mt. Abu, Jaisamand, Ranakpur, Nagda, Nathdwara, and Haldighati. Each is brimming with tales, traditions, and visual splendour.

An Invitation to Explore

Through this series, I’ll reveal the living, breathing tapestry of Mewar. I’ll share my favourite photographs, the local scenes, and personal moments so you can feel the goosebumps I did as history sprang to life.

I invite you to travel with me, step by step, as we unlock the fortresses, unravel legendary sacrifices, uncover divine temples, and savour the cuisine and customs that keep Mewar’s heart beating strong. Patience will be your companion, as each part is a deep dive into the soul of this unforgettable land.

Welcome to Mesmerising Mewar. The story begins…

Moti Magri: Udaipur

Chittorgarh View From Guard House at Ram Pol

Marked here are the places I saw, and the arrow indicates my journey direction. One thing is wrong with this Map. Bijolia is situated between Bundi and Chittorgarh, 55 km from Bundi, and not near Udaipur as it is marked here.

Uttara's Hope

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad. She was clad in white attire. Her churamani and jewellery were all taken away. She sat numbly in front of his dead body for a whole day, pregnant with his heir, looking at his face as though he was asleep. He had told her more than once that this day could come and that she had to protect their heir. He feared her future without him. That one day turned the fifteen-year-old Princess of Matsya into an aged lady. She became quiet and aloof. Her only concern now was her baby. Her baby wiggled in her womb. She remembered him saying, " I will always be with you." All she wanted now was a son like his father. But she knew all Hastinapur wanted was an heir to the throne. The war had ended five days after his death, and they were back in the palace of Hastinapur victorious. She, for the first time, entered her real in-laws' home, but without him. All sh...

Asuras are not Demons

Demons in the Abrahamic religion are not the same as Asuras of Hinduism. Originally deities of Iranian origin, they were seen in the tribal context as no different from Devas but as counterparts to maintain balance. In early epics and Puranas, asura meant a chosen leader of great capacity. Only later, perhaps due to the Iranian link, their image declined. It was with the Brahmanas that the sharp divide appeared: devas as divine, asuras as evil. Puranic myths demonised them mainly to assert the superiority and immortality of devas, while asuras were cast as symbols of the "other." Since Tribes still worshipped them and embraced their power of negativity, being important to balance, they soon became synonymous with tribes, which was not the case mythologically. There are instances of Bali or Ravana being Kshatriya or Brahmin Asuras and competent kings. Indian demonology itself is vast and layered, shaped by surviving tribes, each with unique myths. Celestial, aerial, and terres...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon ...

Nawab E Bengal

Background: Nawab Alivardi Khan was ruling Bengal at the peak of Nawabi rule, expanding his strong empire. He had successfully suppressed the Marathas and had given a strong message to the British East India Company’s rising influence at Calcutta. Highly aware of the British Colonial policies across the globe, Nawab Alivardi Khan was strict with his policies and stronghold over Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal (including present-day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh). He had two daughters and no sons. Amina Begum was the elder one, followed by Ghaseti Begum. Amina had three sons with her husband and courtier, Ahmed Khan. The second son, Mirza Mohammad, fondly called Siraj-Ud-Daulah (light of the country)by his grandfather, was born in 1733C.E. He was his grandfather’s favourite because he was born while he won over the Marathas. Alivardi Khan never let the “fortune child” of the family out of his sight. Siraj grew up accompanying his g...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

Mewar: Origin of Guhilots

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons, Labh and Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until Kanaksen (Often traced as the founder)moved to Dwarika, Saurashtra. "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the Ahar valleys (Aravallis). The Sisodia clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded Birnagar in AD 144. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen ...

Teeja Saka Chittor Ra

23rd February 1568. The sun rose on the eastern horizon, not with the hope of a new day. But, with the horror of what was to follow. The first rays of the Sun God were met by the chants of “Jai Bhavani!” that echoed in the air of Chittorgarh. The Mewaris knew it was time. Four months back, when the Mughals camped at the base of the fort, a helpless Chittorgarh had watched. Rana Udai Singh had left with his closest aides to make the new city westwards, his capital. If rumours were to be believed, he had left behind a cavalry of 8000 soldiers, under Rao Jaimal of Merta and Rawat Patta of Kelwa, to look over the fort. He had also left behind some of his lesser queens and infant princes, as an assurance to the people that Chittorgarh was invincible. Their safety and hope had lived in Kunwar Pratap. Truth be said, they had already taken the Crown Prince as their King. Ever since Ranisa had left with him till he became the Senapati, he had time and again proved to be a better lea...

Prithviraj Chauhan: A Saga

Note: This piece is a work of fiction based on folklore and the Prithviraj Raso, an epic saga by Chand Bardai, who happened to be the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. The dates corresponding to wars, names of people and places are, however, historically fact-checked from various sources, including the works of Todd (semi-historical), The Amir Khusrau and contemporary sources like R.C.Majumder. The incidents are fictionally woven. Rai Pithora Around the year 1140 A.D., Ajmer was ruled by Anangpal of the Tomara Dynasty. Delhi was the seat of power of the Sultanate, which was a constant power struggle for them. He managed to capture briefly most parts of west Rajputana, and present-day Haryana and Punjab were also part of his kingdom. The old king had a son and two daughters. His concern grew as his son Surya was not talented enough to rule Ajmer. His youngest daughter, Princess Karpuri Devi, was married to Someshwar Chauhan of the famous Chauhan clan. Their son, Rai Pithora, helped...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and does not claim any historical happening in the conversations. This is to show the spirit of the women of Rajputana. The year 1657. Shah Jahan had taken ill and was rumoured to be dying in Agra Fort. He was about eighty, and the pressure of having an empire had taken a toll on his body. The seat of power was slowly shifting from Agra to Delhi since the prominence of the Laal Quila had increased, and if the news spread was to be believed, his sons were in a battle for the throne already. It was time each king chose sides once again. Dara Sikhoh was the eldest and the righteous Heir to the throne. He was believed to be a man who held high morals and was hence respected by both enemies and allies as well. Aurangzeb was his sibling and the youngest of the brothers. Short-tempered and cunning, he was always dreaded by the court. As Shah Jahan took ill, Aurangzeb took this as a golden opportunity to wa...

Rani Padmini: The Valiant Queen

This story is a retelling of some parts of Malik Mohammad Jayasi's Padmavat, which was a historical fiction poem written in 1540, an odd 200 years after the siege of Chittorgarh by Allauddin Khilji. Historically, the Rajputs of Mewar didn't keep accounts of their queens, even by name, so the name Padmini or Padmavati was made up by Jayasi to represent the women of Chittor who chose the Jauhar. Historically speaking, Allauddin Khilji wanted the trade route to Surat for himself, which went through Mewar and Rana Ratan Singh, a patron of art, was not known for his military skills. So when Khilji surrounded the fort, the only way out was the Saka and Jauhar. Rani Padmini's Jauhar, as it is now popularly called, is also not the first Jauhar Khilji witnessed. The Jauhars of Ranthambore and Jaisalmer happened before he attacked Chittorgarh. Also, the act of Jauhar happened as early as the Greek invasions of Porus's state, when it is described as the "Mass immolation of Sa...

A Journey To Discover Life

Search This Blog