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World Heritage Site

for World Heritage Travellers

Hill Forts of Rajasthan

Hill Forts of Rajasthan
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The Hill Forts of Rajasthan are 6 military fortifications built in the Rajput cultural tradition.

The included forts are:

- Chittorgarh Fort

- Kumbhalgarh Fort

- Ranthambore Fort

- Gagron Fort

- Amber Fort

- Jaisalmer Fort

Map of Hill Forts of Rajasthan

Legend

  • ●● Cultural

Visit July 1993

In 1993 I visited one of these forts: Amber Fort. It was my first trip to India, and I was completely overwhelmed by its street life and visible poverty. Jaipur, the nearest city to Amber Fort, also was the first place we visited on our tour.

July 1993

The Fort is located on the top of a hill, and we walked there in the late afternoon. I remember that it was getting dark when we returned, and that there were lots of local kids yelling at us, walking with us or wanting to hold hands.

The fort was built from 1592 and "shows the evolution from the purely defensive fort settlements of the early medieval period to the palace fortress type of architecture typified in the 16th century." It is quite an extensive complex, with several courtyards, gardens, a temple, audience halls and living quarters.

My visit was so long ago that I cannot really argue if this is a viable WHS or not. But certainly "palaces" in general are still a very prominent feature of Indian history and culture.

July 1993

Community Reviews

Clyde Malta 17-Jul-13

Hill Forts of Rajasthan by Clyde

I visited 4 sites of this WHS in December 2011-January 2012. There are several forts in Rajasthan but the ones inscribed in this WHS are really unique. My personal favourite is Jaisalmer Fort in the Thar Desert close to the Pakistan border. It is special because it is still inhabited and the people there are really special. Hopefully sanitation problems and refuse collection will improve thanks to UNESCO but I really hope that the rumours of Jaisalmer becoming a "tourist attraction" meaning that the locals would be "accommodated" in apartments "outside" the city walls does not materialise (similar to what has happened in Bagan, Burma or Angkor Wat, Siem Reap). Jaisalmer Fort is special and unique to me because it is still inhabited after hundreds or thousands of years. I also visited Amber Fort outside Jaipur (entering the fort gate on a painted elephant like a maharajah), Ranthambore Fort, and Chittorgarh Fort with the claustrophobic Victory Tower.

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Community Rating

Community Rating 3.85. Based on 13 votes.

Site Info

Full name: Hill Forts of Rajasthan

Unesco ID: 247

Inscribed: 2013

Type: Cultural

Criteria: 2   3  

Link: By Name By ID

Site History

  • 2013 - Revision Includes former TWHS Chittorgarh Fort (1981)
  • 2013 - Inscribed 
  • 2012 - Advisory Body overruled Referral instead of "Not inscribed" proposed by ICOMOS
  • 2012 - Referred 

Locations

The site has 6 locations.

  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Amber Fort
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Chittorgarh Fort
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Gagron Fort
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Jaisalmer Fort
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Kumbhalgarh Fort
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: Ranthambore Fort

Connections

The site has 14 connections.

Architecture

  • Chahar Bagh Gardens: Amber Palace "The garden, located between the Jai Mandir on the east and the Sukh Niwas on the west, both built on high platforms in the third courtyard, was built by Mirza Raja Jai Singh (1623–68). It is patterned on the lines of the Chahar Bagh or Mughal Garden. It is in sunken bed, shaped in a hexagonal design. It is laid out with narrow channels lined with marble around a star-shaped pool with a fountain at the centre."  Link
  • Muqarnas: Amber Fort
  • Indo-Islamic architecture: Amber - Built in 1592 by a Rajput commander of the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar the fort/palace contains a mixture of Indian and Mughal architectural styles.  Link

Constructions

  • Tunnels: from Amber fort to Jaigarh Link
  • Stepwells: Kumhalgarh - "Langan Baori, a 15th-century step-well" (Wiki)

Ecology

  • Tiger habitat: Ranthambore: fort within a landscape of forests with aquatic vegetation, which is the habitat of the Indian Tiger (AB ev)

Human Activity

Religion and Belief

  • Jainism: Jaisalmer, Ranthambore, Kumbhalgarh (Bawan Devi Temple) and Chittorgarh. Link

Timeline

  • Built in the 7th century: Chittorgarh, where Chitrangad, also of the Maurya dynasty, erected a stronghold in the 7th century (AB ev), rest dates from between 8th and 16th centuries

Trivia

  • One million visitors or more: Amber Fort attracts 1.4 million visitors a year (2007)(wiki)
  • Cultural WHS set within an IUCN recognised protected area: Ranthambore NP (IUCN cat II), named for the historic Ranthambhore fortress, which lies within the national park (wiki)
  • Foreigner prices: Chittaurgarh Fort: Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs.15 per head. Others: Rs. 200/- per head  Link

World Heritage Process

Visitors

143 community members have visited Hill Forts of Rajasthan.