Chittorgarh Fort

Chittorgarh Fort sprawls across 700 acres atop a 180-metre hill — the largest fort in India and the original capital of Mewar before the Sisodia rulers shifted to Udaipur in the 16th century. The fort was the site of three famous jauhars (mass self-immolation by Rajput women to avoid capture) — under Rani Padmini in 1303 (Alauddin Khalji's siege), under Rani Karnavati in 1535 (Bahadur Shah's siege), and under Patta and Jaimal's wives in 1568 (Akbar's siege). The fort's architectural set pieces are remarkable: the 122-metre Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory), built by Rana Kumbha in 1448 to commemorate his victory over Mahmud Khilji of Malwa, and the 22-metre Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame), an older Jain structure dedicated to Adinatha. The Padmini Palace, the Meera Temple, the Kalika Mata Temple, and Rana Kumbha's palace are all inside the fort. UNESCO inscribed Chittorgarh as the centrepiece of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan in 2013.