Kumbhalgarh

Kumbhalgarh- A quiet rejuvenating experience

If you are looking for a place where you can sit back and relax, this is the place to be. If you are traveller who is looking to explore mountains this is the one for you, if you are a traveller who is loves driving among mountains this is the place for you.

Location: Near Udaipur-about 60km

How to reach: Well connected via roads. Nearby airport and railway station is Udaipur.

We went there from Ahmedabad.

Various route options are available we took Ahmedabad-Mehsana-Palanpur-Abu Road route.

The Highway: Very good road. Till last 50km it is a four lane highway. Toll route but worth paying. The quality of road is very good.

Road Tips:

·        Plenty of food options in Gujarat.

·        In Rajasthan practically very few choices for food, so stock food and water.

·        No CNG pumps on the way, last CNG pump in palanpur, that too very busy and have long queue.

·        Many liquor shops in Rajasthan, starts just after entry for liquor lovers.

·        Road passes among mountains, some of the places are really good, keep your camera handy.

·        Last 50kms is through villages, single road though good but small. It will kill your time, so keep this in mind.

·        Hardly couple of petrol pumps on the way, tank up on your way

·        No petrol pump in Kumbhalgarh

The Place:

          In fact there is nothing like Kumbhalgarh city or village. Just about 10-15 resorts and hotels, one fort and this is it !

Many good resorts and hotels are here. Your stay should be in good hotel as you will spending most of the time there only.

Local people seems to be poor and water scarcity is obviously seen. When you pass through villages you will not find many people around.

The nearest big village is Kerwada about 10kms away and Sayra about 25kms away.

Kerwada: This connects like a junction. “Miarchi Vada” is famous here, but you will get only till afternoon.

Sayra: About 25kms away, this is junction for going to Ranakpur and Udaipur. It has got petrol pump also.

Places to see in Kumbhalgarh and around

1.     Kumbhalgarh Fort:

·        A fort made for Kumbha Raja. A good famous and one of the main attraction here. In winter you can go any time, but in summer early morning or late evening is a better option. You need about 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the place.  The most exciting feature of this fort is its boundary wall. It has been said that it is second longest after the Great Wall of China.

·        If you have seen other forts of Rajasthan, you might get disappointed. The fort is good but not well maintained. No sign boards, no details about place etc. Rather than displaying more information about various points, there are more number of ASI boards informing is about this being a protected monument. Hiring   is a good option and one should do it. After entry gate you will not find any official inside. The lighting of fort is very good in late evening. The light and sound show is also a good show that happens after sunset.

·        Kids up to 15 years are exempted from entry tickets, the tickets are just 15Rs.

·        Do visit this and place and explore on your own

2.     Parshuram Temple: We did not visit this place, but it is good as per local residents and fellow tourists. You need walk about 1.5kms after parking your vehicle. About 5kms from fort towards Sayra.

3.     Fish Pond-Hamirpark Lake:  Not so famous a good place if you have kids along with you. 2km from Kelwara.

·        A small pond. Here you can feed fish “Gathia”,”mamra” toast etc. You just put some food in water and you will have hundreds of star fish there to ear. Really a scene to watch. Fish rolling over each other to eat food, opening their mouth vide in search of food.

4.     Ranakpur Jain Temple-“Muchala Mahavir: 50kms from here. Via sayra. Will take about 1.5 hours from here.

·        An architectural marvel. Pillars pillars, about 1400 +. Very beautiful temple, you will like it where you are Jain devotee or not.

·        Photography allowed inside temple, just have a ticket at entry point.

·        Really nice work done at places, foreign tourist are really amazed.

·        No shorts or short dresses are allowed, they will give pyjamas on token rent if you are wearing shorts.

·        You can take nice and healthy food here depending upon time.

·        Summer will be hot here

5.     Wildlife Sanctury: If you are a Jungle lover or have young kids along, you must visit.  We could not spot any big animals but really enjoyed the ride. Do not try if you have back problems as obviously no proper roads are there, this a real bumpy ride of about 2 hours. Though we could see “neel gay” “Sattar Singha” “owl” etc. The experience is really good.

·        It starts from 6am in morning up to 9am and 4pm in evening to 6pm.

·        It is a 10km safari in open jeep from a place near fort.

·        Very big area

·        Habitats of Jungle are Leopard,Bear etc.

·        You will find very different rates for safari as usual like any other tourist place.

·        The good idea is to avoid booking from hotel, book directly.