The Kalinjar fort is a treasure trove of monuments and sculptures. The history of this fort is turbulent, but the temples and structures within it reflect the artistic prowess of the Chandela dynasty. Built by the Chandela king Kedar Burman in the seventh century AD, the fort was a unique monument of its time and had no parallel in any other part of the country in terms of grandeur and artistry. Read the rest of this entry

The Ranthambore Fort is situated in the lush greenery of the Ranthambore National Park atop a hill. The name Ranthambore draws from the name of the hills - Thanbhore is the hill on which the fort is situated and Ran is the nearby hill.

For tourists visiting the Ranthambore Fort, it is advisable to keep enough time on hand. It is partly because of the reason that there is no pathway approaching the fort which means that visitors need to climb up the stairs of the hill to reach it (around 20 minutes walk). Also, the fort has so much to offer in terms of attractions that time will fly out without even giving a slightest of clue of its passage.

The other plus point of the fort is that its location in midst of the wildlife sanctuary ensures that there is neither any entry fee nor any over anxious guide to trouble the visitors.

The attractions of Ranthambore Fort caters to the varying interests of the tourists. For those who love history, the fort has unending stories to narrate while for people with religious bent of mind, there are numerous big and small temples. Lastly, those visitors who are interested in neither of the above attraction, there is the breathtaking view of the Ranthambore National Park. Animals rambling lazily to drink water from the lake arouse an entirely different kind of feeling in the visitors.

History of the Fort:

The Ranthambhore fort is believed to have been built in 944 A.D. by a Chauhan ruler. It is strategically located on the border of Rajasthan and erstwhile Malwa. The Undulating topography of the surrounding forests was used as an outer defense to the advantage of the fort. It was one of the strongest forts of Northern India.

In medieval India, Ranthambhore was an important Kingdom in the eyes of the Sultans of Delhi because it guarded the passage to Central India. Muslim invasions brought about major political changes in North India.

In Rajasthan Chauhan kingdoms of Sapadalaksha and Nadol disappeared. Govinda, Grandson of Prithviraj Chauhan established himself at Ranthambhore and ruled as a feudatory of the Sultan of Delhi. However relations between Delhi and Ranthambhore changed when Fitutmish deceitfully got Virnarayan the ruler of Ranthambhore assassinated and occupied Ranthambhore. Virnarayan uncle Vagbhat escaped to Malwa and ultimately founded a small Kingdom for himself bordering Ranthambhore. In the wake of disturbances after the death of Iltutmish, Vagbhat attacked Ranthambhore with a small army. He surrounded the fort and ultimately Rajia Sultan, the ruler of Delhi could barely get the starving garrison out of the fort.

Vagbhat ruled Ranthambhore continuously for 12 years struggling with the sultan of Delhi. The internal quarrels within the sultans and the Mughal invasion left the Sultan with little time to check the growing powers of Vaghbhat. Vaghbhat built a beautiful temple at Jhain and beautified Ranthambhore.

Vagbhat was succeeded by Jaitra Singh who continued the struggle against Delhi and Malwa. In 1253 Balban attacked Ranthambhore but could only capture some horses and had to leave.

Hammir succeeded Jaitra Singh in 1283 A.D and launched a career carrying out raids into Malwa and Gujarat. He defeated the ruler of Chittor and received tribute from the ruler of Abu. His power also reached Pushkar, Sakambhari and Champa.

In 1290 Jalaluddin Khilji attacked Ranthambhore but was repulsed.

In 1298 A.D Hammir gave refuge to Muhammed Shah, a rebel against Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi. Allaudin’s general Ulugh Khan sent an envoy to Hammir demanding the death of Muhammed Shah but Hammir declined saying he could not harm anyone who had sought shelter with him even though the Turks might come from all directions. Allaudin Khilji ordered the fort to be besieged from all sides. Hammir fought valiantly. Ultimately Allauddin Khilji himself marched to Ranthambhore. In spite of all the strategies adopted by him the fort withstood. However soon the fort started feeling the pinch of the siege. Famine in the fort was acute. However Rao Hammir refused to compromise. At this stage treachery raised its heads in the form of Hammirs generals – Ratipal and Ranmal. Allauddin Khilji enticed Ratipal by promising him the Kingdom of Ranthambhore if he helped him in capturing the fort. Ultimately Hammir opted for the fight unto Death. Thousand of ladies in the fort performed “Jauhar” by jumping into fire and the men rushed out of the fort to fight unto death. Hammir and his loyal generals were killed in the battle and Khilji took over the fort in July 1301 A.D

Hammir was a bold loyal and self sacrificing ruler. His tenacity to stick to his words is legendary and till date he has a special place in the hearts of the people of this area.

Khilji made one of his generals in charge of the area and returned to Delhi. After Khilji the fort once again passed on to the Rajput rulers. When Babar came to India Ranthambhore was under the rule of Vikramjeet. Vikramjeet accepted Babar’s power and paid tribute.

Rana Kumbha captured the fort in the mid 15th century and later handed it over to his son after whom the Hada Rajputs of Bundi took over Ranthambhore once again before Akbar invaded and won it in 1569.

These and later wars must surely have ravaged the area. In the 19th century Ranthambhore became a prison fortress where they executed prisoners by hurling them down the fort walls after stuffing them with opium.

The fort then reverted to the Maharaja of Jaipur and the surrounding Jungle became private hunting grounds.

Today, overrun by vegetation the scattered remains of the chattris, summer palaces, and crumbling guard posts can still be seen – reminders of a historic past set within a Wild present.

Today the entrance to the area protects a treasure of greater value, one of the finest habitats in the world for the tiger.

Inside the Fort

One of the oldest forts in India, the Ranthambore Fort spreads over an area of 7 kms in circumference. Inside, a group of buildings like palaces, temples, mosques and barracks enthuse the visiting tourists.

The Hammir court is the prime attraction of the Ranthambore Fort. It boasts of an outstanding acoustics where even lightest of sound bit gets echoed in a marvellous way. The Ganesh Temple is not to be missed by the religious people. An interesting aspect about the temple relates that devotees write letters to Lord Ganesha and send it to this temple. These letters are delivered daily by the local postman.

The Gupt Ganga, a series of steps carved out of rock, leads visitors to a stream that continues to flow throughout the year. However, a bit of precaution needs to be taken before stepping down these stairs. First, some source of light has to be carried by the visitors and secondly, they need to be very careful while going down as the steps end almost suddenly.

Other attractions inside the Ranthambore Fort include Toran Dwar, Mahadeo Chhatri, Sameton Ki Haveli, 32 pillared Chhatri, and a Mosque.

How to get to Rantahmbore?

The reserve is located near the Town of Sawai Madhopur which lies on the Main Mumbai - Delhi railway Line. Therefore all train on this route will go through Sawai Madhopur. Once you get down at Sawai Madhopur you can easily take a auto rickshaw which is available in plenty outside the railway station and go to your respective hotels which lie mainly on the Ranthambhore road on the way to the Ranthambhore national park. The fare as on January 2008 is approximately Rs 50/- to Rs 60/- up to any hotel on the Ranthambhore road. For hotel further up the fare will be more. Please ask and finalise the rates before boarding the auto.

For groups it is better to hire a Canter [20 seat capacity] from the station to your hotel. The cost for which is approximately Rs 400/- to Rs 500/- for the full canter depending on how far your hotel is situated. The time taken to reach your hotel from the Railway station is between 5 to 15 minutes depending on your hotel location.

Nearest Railway Station : Sawai Madhopur

Nearest Airport : Jaipur - 190 kms from airport to Ranthambhore via Tonk.

Project Tiger office Tel No : 07462 - 220223

Distances by rail from: Jaipur 132 kms / Delhi 361 kms / Mumbai 1028 kms / Agra 227 kms. Sawai Madhopur is directly connected by rail to Mumbai / Delhi / Kolkata / Jaipur / Bangalore / Hyderabad / Chennai / Bhopal / Patna / Ahmedabad and many other towns in India.

Distance by Road from Jaipur is 172 Kms via Tonk.