Tracing Timeless Legends at Chittorgarh’s Rana Kumbha Palace The history of Chittorgarh stretches back to the days of the Maurya dynasty, whose first settlements laid the cultural bedrock of the region. It was Bappa Rawal, the inaugural Dewan of Sri Ekling Nath Ji (a revered manifestation of Lord Shiva), who became the first Rajput king to rule here. Fast forward centuries, and under the reign of Rana Kumbhakarna Singh, son of Mokal, Mewar flourished as the dominant power in western India, its boundaries protected by an astonishing network of 56 forts built by the visionary, art-loving Rana Kumbha himself. Some of Chittorgarh’s most striking landmarks are its legacy. A turn into the fort soon opens up a vista of Rana Kumbha Palace and Sringar Chauri . While visitors now use a side entrance beside Sringar Chauri (rather than the proper route via Badi Pol and the grand main gate), this detour lands you immediately in the Rani Mahal, the palace’s inner sanctum once meant for the royal ...