Private Tour: Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh Fort Day Tour from Udaipur
Udaipur, India
Trip Type: Private Sightseeing Tours
Duration: 8 hours
Step back in time and discover the glory of the Rajputs at the great Kumbhalgarh Fort through this tour. Built during the 15th century, this almost invincible fort is the highest and most formidable in the Rajasthan state. Such was its defenses, that it took a combined army from three states to breach its walls. Later visit Ranakpur temple, one of the most famous Jain Temples, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar (enlightened human). Constructed with white marble, it has more than a thousand unique columns.
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Step back in time and discover the glory of the Rajputs at the great Kumbhalgarh Fort through this tour. Built during the 15th century, this almost invincible fort is the highest and most formidable in the Rajasthan state. Such was its defenses, that it took a combined army from three states to breach its walls. Later visit Ranakpur temple, one of the most famous Jain Temples, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar (enlightened human). Constructed with white marble, it has more than a thousand unique columns.A private air-conditioned vehicle will pick you up from your hotel in Udaipur. The distance between Udaipur city and Kumbhalgarh is approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) and can be reached in about two hours. The distance between Kumbhalgarh and Rankpur is 31 miles (50 kilometers) and can be reached in one hour.
Built on a hilltop 3,608 feet (1,100 meters) above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 22 miles (36 kilometers) and are 15 feet (4.5 meters) thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways with over 360 temples within the fort, 300 of which are ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace's roof, there's a beautiful view of the Aravalli Range and the Thar Desert's sand dunes.
According to legend, in 1443, the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh, Rana Kumbha, was initially unsuccessful in building the fort wall. A spiritual preceptor was consulted about the construction problems and advised the ruler that a voluntary human sacrifice would solve whatever was causing the impediment. The spiritual aide advised building a temple where the head should fall, and to build the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. As can be expected, for some time no one volunteered, but one day, a pilgrim volunteered and was ritually decapitated. Today the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, contains a shrine and a temple to commemorate the great sacrifice.
After Kumbalgarh, head to the your next stop: Jain Temples at Ranakpur. These 15th-century temples have been superbly preserved in a near-perfect condition for over 500 years. An enormous basement covers 48,000 sq. ft area. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty four-pillared halls and appropriate domes supported by over 400 columns. There are 1,444 columns in all, which are intricately carved. The artistically carved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures at a height of 45 feet are an engrossing sight. In the assembly hall, there are two big bells weighing 238 pounds (108 kilograms) whose sound echoes in the entire complex. Nearby, there are few other smaller temples one of them dedicated to the Hindu sun god, Surya.
After the guided tour ends, you will be transported back to Udaipur city and dropped off at your hotel.
Built on a hilltop 3,608 feet (1,100 meters) above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 22 miles (36 kilometers) and are 15 feet (4.5 meters) thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways with over 360 temples within the fort, 300 of which are ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace's roof, there's a beautiful view of the Aravalli Range and the Thar Desert's sand dunes.
According to legend, in 1443, the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh, Rana Kumbha, was initially unsuccessful in building the fort wall. A spiritual preceptor was consulted about the construction problems and advised the ruler that a voluntary human sacrifice would solve whatever was causing the impediment. The spiritual aide advised building a temple where the head should fall, and to build the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. As can be expected, for some time no one volunteered, but one day, a pilgrim volunteered and was ritually decapitated. Today the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, contains a shrine and a temple to commemorate the great sacrifice.
After Kumbalgarh, head to the your next stop: Jain Temples at Ranakpur. These 15th-century temples have been superbly preserved in a near-perfect condition for over 500 years. An enormous basement covers 48,000 sq. ft area. There are four subsidiary shrines, twenty four-pillared halls and appropriate domes supported by over 400 columns. There are 1,444 columns in all, which are intricately carved. The artistically carved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures at a height of 45 feet are an engrossing sight. In the assembly hall, there are two big bells weighing 238 pounds (108 kilograms) whose sound echoes in the entire complex. Nearby, there are few other smaller temples one of them dedicated to the Hindu sun god, Surya.
After the guided tour ends, you will be transported back to Udaipur city and dropped off at your hotel.
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