RAJASTHAN – BIJAIPUR, CHITTORGARH, UDAIPUR

BIJAIPUR

• A village with a beautiful 16th century castle at the foot of the Vindhyanchal hills.
• The castle was converted by the royal family into a heritage hotel in 1991.
• It is 40 km from Chittorgarh.

CHITTORGARH

• The largest hilltop fort (by area) in India. The perimeter wall is 13 km long and surrounds an area of 305 hectares.
• There are seven gates plus 65 historic structures including palaces, temples and victory towers within the walls.
• The fort was constructed by the Mauryans during the 7th century AD.
• The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

UDAIPUR

• The capital of the Mewar Kingdom was moved here from Chittorgarh under Maharana Udai Singh in the mid-1500s. It is known as the City of Lakes or the Venice of the East.
• The majority of people are Jains.
• The zinc and copper mines have been excavated since medieval times.
• The spectacular City Palace stands on the east bank of Lake Pichola and now houses a museum with antiques, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils from the royal era.
• The nearby Vishnu Nagda Temple (10 km from Udaipur) dates back to the 10th century. It is now known as the Sahastra Bahu Temple. The Eklingji Temple is also dedicated to Vishnu.