The
Badal Mahal: The palace of the clouds, situated in the fort has a very
interesting location and seems as if hanging out in space. The famous 84-column
'chhatri' of King Hammir stands out magnificently where he used to hold
an audience. The Padam Talab, the Raj Bagh Talab and the Milak Talab are
some of the lakes in the area worth seeing.
The walls of the fort
are equally foreboding, rising upto 200ft (61m). A massive climb without
anything to hold on to, or a death-fall, depending on where one is. However,
the interior of the fort is now in ruins and the remains of only two temples
dedicated to Shiva and Ganesh, a Jain temple and a water tank can still
be found. The Badal Mahal in the north section of the fort offers a splendid
view below.
The fort is located on
a high cliff surrounded by jungles and has a bloody history. In the 14th
century, the fort became the site for the first ever jauhar (self immolation
by women) in Rajput history. Jauhar, put simply, meant that wives of Rajput
warriors immolated themselves in a huge bonfire when confronted with defeat.
All this happened during the reign of Raja Hammir Dev who was fighting
the Persian forces. The women left behind in the fort came to know of Hammir’s
death in battle and consequently decided to end their lives. However, Hammir
was very much alive. On his return to the fort and learning about the jauhar,
he beheaded himself before a statue of Shiva within the fort.
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