• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

As you enter the final pol, you will see Shingara Chauri Mandir, a typically adorned Jain temple, and the crumbling 15th-century palace built by Rana Kumbha up ahead. Under the palace lies a series of cellars where Padmini reputedly committed jauhar (see box). Rana Kumbha was one of the Mewar’s most powerful rulers: In addition to the palace, he built nearby Khumba Shyam Temple, dedicated to Varah (an incarnation of Vishnu), as well as Meera Temple, dedicated to the poet and princess Meera, whose devotion to Krishna reputedly saved her from being poisoned. (Incidentally, Krishna is usually depicted as blue as a result of the poison he consumed, thereby saving the world.) Within the cenotaph in front of the temple is a carved figure of five human bodies with one head—in a rare overture to tolerance, this supposedly demonstrates caste equality. Farther south lies Kumbha’s Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory)—a lavishly ornamented tower built by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over the combined forces of Malwa and Gujarat.

Other sites of interest are Padmini’s Palace, where the sultan Allauddin Khilji gazed upon Padmini’s reflection in the lotus pond; Kirti Stambh, a 12th-century tower ornamented with figures, dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara; Fateh Prakash Palace, built for the maharana during the 1920s and housing a dry archaeological museum (small fee; Sat–Thurs 10am–4:30pm); and Kalika Mata Temple, originally built as a Sun Temple by Bappa Rawal in the 8th century but rebuilt during the 14th century and dedicated to Kali, goddess of power and valor. Some of the best views are from Gaumukh (Cow’s Mouth) Reservoir, so-called because the spring water trickles through a stone carving of a cow’s mouth.

Note: You can get here by train from Udaipur, but it’s a late-night trip, departing at 9:40pm and arriving 2 hours later, so you would have to overnight, and perhaps consider moving on to Jaipur the following evening (on the same connecting train). Accommodations in Chittor are limited, with no luxury options. If you have to overnight, the best option is Pratap Palace ( 01472/24-0099; Rs 1,500–Rs 4,500 double); the priciest rooms have A/C units with tubs in the attached bathrooms.

115km (71 miles) from Udaipur (3-hr. drive one-way). No admission charge.

Day Trip 4: Undiscovered Palaces & Deco Delight

Note: If you’ve come through the hardships of Gujarat over the Araveli Hills and into Rajasthan and are not quite ready for the throngs of Udaipur, then a night or two at Dungarpurs’ Udai Bilas Palace is highly recommended. Play lawn tennis, soak in the Jacuzzi, row on the lake, or simply bird-watch from the infinity pool with a gin and tonic in one hand and binoculars in the other. Dungarpur is a peaceful and welcoming town with extraordinary history and the oldest palace in India, and is an easy must-do side trip.

Dungarpur’s Palaces It’s hard for anyone flipping through Angelika Taschen’s book Indian Style to refrain from gasping when they come to the pages recording the magnificent apartments of 13th-century Juna Mahal. The palace—one of three, and the only one not too dangerous to visit—commands a sweeping view of Dunparpur and the Araveli Hills. A seven-story fortresslike structure that appears to spring forth from its rocky surrounds it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside, it houses one of the world’s most interesting “art galleries”: Every wall and column is covered with beautiful, intricate frescoes—tiny paintings; mosaics with glass, mirror, and tiles; or artfully used porcelain plates embedded into the walls. And don’t forget to look above you: On one ceiling panel, gorgeous images of Krishna depict the playful god getting up to all kinds of shenanigans. In one of the massive downstairs reception rooms, the entire floor is covered with huge decaying Persian carpets. Yet even though it houses a treasure trove of art and design, the palace is far from being a tourist attraction: There are very few visitors and not a single