"City of Stepwell"
A moment in history caught and held. Bundi is a dream remembered - named
after Bunda, a Meena chieftain. A Rajput town so ancient that one gets the
feeling of having stumbled upon a page of history.
Bundi and Kota were once a singly principality ruled by the Hada Chauhans,
an offshoot of the famous clan of Chauhans who ruled Delhi and Ajmer.
After the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan by Sultan Mohammed Ghori in 1193,
the Chauhan nobles sought sanctuary in Mewar. They were welcomed and proved
allies to the Rana.
Yet some young warriors ventured on their own overpowered the Meena and
Bhil Tribals of Chambal valley and established the kingdom of Hadavati or
Hadoti.
Later two branches of the Hadas formed two separate states on either sides
of the Chambal. These were Kota and Bundi. Bundi town nestles in a narrow
valley, enclosed by huge walls and fortified by four gateways
. In the centre of the township lies a lake. A medieval fortress stands
sentinel to this city - amute witness to history and time. Bundi is famous
for its intricate paintings and murals.
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History of Bundi
36 km from Kota is a tiny Picturesque town, Bundi. One of the unexplored
cities with a rich historical wealth. Once a part of Kota, it was ruled by
the Had Chauhans- an offshoots of the famous Chauhan clan who ruled Delhi
and Ajmer.
In 1193 A.D. when Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Sultan Mohammed
Ghauri, some Chauhan nobles seeked shelter in Mewar and became allies to the
Rana while other young warriors move towards the Chambal valley and
overpowered the Meena and Bhil tribals-thus establishing their own kingdom
of Hadoti. Later, two branches of Hadas formed two separates states of Kota
and Bundi, on either side of the river Chambal.
Bundi is surrounded by the Aravalli hills on the three sides and is
circumscribed by a massive wall with four gateways.
Interesting monuments including impressive medieval forts, palaces,
havelis, temples with beautiful stone idols and chattris with carved
pillars, along with a picturesque lake in the heart of the town, add to its
charm. Bundi is very famous for its intricate carvings and murals.
Bundi continues to be a place where life is largely untouched by the
outside world. In fact, even today, Bundi is one place in Rajasthan that has
a delightfully medieval flavour - we felt as if we had stepped into some
kind of a time warp!
The town nestles at the foot of a large rocky hills, dominated by Taragarh
Fort and Garh Palace, lavishly decorated with the finest murals in the
history of Rajput Art. Painted in the Hara style of the Kota-Bundi school of
miniatures in characteristic shades of blue, green and maroon, they reflect
the verdant greenery of the region. An art connoisseur can spend days in
Bundi for these paintings alone.
Bundi is a town of numerous ornate baoris(step-wells) dating back to the
17th century. Raniji ki Baori with its exquisite toran archway is one of the
loveliest.
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Places to see:-
BUNDI DURG (TARAGARH)
The magnificent Taragarh or the Star fort was constructed in 1411 AD by Rao
Raja Bar Singh. The Fozdar Dalil of Jaipur constructed the outer fort wall,
when this state was governed through Jaipur state, in the 18th century. This
white fort perched over the top of a thickly wooded hill at the height of
1426 feet, is one of the major tourist attractions in India.
The fort is wonderful and extraordinary from the point of safety, it
construction is unique and strong. It has a huge tank, which once supplied
the palace with water.
There are many places of interest inside the fort like the Bheem Burj
situated in the middle and is the highest Burj of the fort. Just near the
Bheem Burj is a cenotaph resembling the 84 columned cenotaph, which was
constructed by Bhai Deva, the borther of Bheem Rao Anirudh Singh.
THE GARH PALACE
This is considered to be one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture.
The construction was started by Maharao Balwant Singh. A steep, paved
carriage way leads to this palace, through the Hazari Pol or the Gate of the
Thousand. The Naubat Khana and the Hathi Pol are some places of interest
inside the palace.
RATAN DAULAT (Diwan-i-Am)
It was a royal court built by Maharao Ratan Singh Ji. Diwan-i-Am was built
in such manner that it forms stables for nine horses and elephants. The
royal marble throne is a major attraction of this part.
CHHATRA MAHAL
This palace was built by Maharao Shatrusal Singh Ji. The main attraction of
the palace is a room full of murals in the miniature style. The colour
schemes of these paintings are red, golden and blue. Apart from this
courtyard beautiful small pool and Hathiya Sal(each pillar with four wooden
elephants ) are notable. Glass and ivory work done on the gates are
beauteous. Phool Mahal and Badal Mahal can be seen for paintings. Prior
permission of the secretary is to be sought from Motimahal for a visit.
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