Quickie (Dec. 2)

My inspection of the southern fringe of Rajasthan continues. This work is exhausting. From my base in Udaipur I travel hundreds of kilometers every day to see remote temples and forts then come back and write travel articles well into the night. Having for the short term exhausted my supply of complaints about bus travel, I shall refrain from repeating myself and further defaming popular deities.

As you know I'm also not supposed to repeat what I write for work, and contrary to popular belief I am not a bottomless pit of biting remarks about derelict castles. I have other things to dedicate my mind to as well, such as making friends, doing my historical research, planning my future itinerary, endearing myself to Indian women, and in general actually having a life. So in lieu of a joke comparing Chittaurgarh's breached ribbon-like walls to a desecrated chastity ring or whatever, please feel free to peruse the photos I have posted of Chittaurgarh, Khumbalgarh, Ranakpur, and Udaipur. I'll give a little info about each.

Chittaurgarh was formerly the most strategic fort in all of India. Then it had a bad spell of repeatedly falling and the Maharaja of Mewar built his new capital at Udaipur. Though massive (being about 5km in length), Chittaurgarh is mostly empty grass interspersed by the few buildings the Mughals didn't burn to the ground. Rather ironically its most famous surviving feature is the Tower of Victory. I scoff. I would say spare yourselves the visit unless you're a huge history buff.

Khumbalgarh, on the other hand, is a truly awesome fort located on such a remote and inhospitable hilltop that in 400 years of use it was held by enemy forces for a total of 48 hours. Located several hours' drive on a one-lane road up into the depths of the Aravalli mountains, its staggering 36 kilometers of walls are a gargantuan fuck-you to any army that humped its gear through the rugged wilderness to attack it. Within the massive fort are numerous Hindu and Jain temples, spectacular views, an impressive citadel, a couple villages, and abandoned land reclaimed by villagers for farming within the walls. Probably the best fort in all of Rajasthan, and I have been to a crapload of forts in Rajasthan.

Ranakpur is a remote Jain temple in a little valley separated from Khumbalgarh by some very nasty hills. Its fine carvings and beautifully balanced proportions make it probably also the finest temple I have seen in Rajasthan so far (or in India for that matter), and I have seen even more Rajasthani temples than Rajasthani forts. Go there.

I'll have more to say about Udaipur later. Right now I am quite busy in my quest to publicly slander the Maharaja of Mewar. Namaste.