Great Wall Of India: Massive Structure That Surrounds Ancient Fort Of Kumbhalgarh

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - This massive structure, called the Great Wall of India, surrounds the ancient Fort of Kumbhalgarh.

Kumbhalgarh - the second most important Fort of Rajasthan after Chittorgarh - is located in Rajasthan in western India. It is a World Heritage Site initially built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, ruler of Mewar, between 1433 and 1468 AD.

Walls of Kumbhalgarh fort in Rajasthan, India. iMAGE CREDIT: Shivam Chaturvedi – CC BY-SA 3.0

The massive wall at Kumbhalgarh took nearly a century to construct, making the Fort virtually impenetrable.

Located at a distance of 64 km from Udaipur in the Rajasmand district, Kumbhalgarh Fort is easily accessible from the city of Udaipur.

The massive wall at Kumbhalgarh took nearly a century to construct Built on a hilltop 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level on the Aravalli range, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 km (22 mi), making it among the longest walls in the world. The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick.

Aerial view of a portion of the Kumbhalgarh wall.  Image credit: Heman kumar meena  - CC BY-SA 3.0

Kumbhalgarh Fort was built by Maharana Rana Kumbha, the ruler of Mewar, a state in western India, between 1433 AD and 1468 AD. This ruler was also a patron of art, music, and architecture.

The impregnable Fort has seven massive gates and seven ramparts folded with one another and equipped with designed walls toughened by curved bastions and huge watch towers. Thanks to its strong structure and solid foundation, the fort made unbeatable to date. The fort's walls are broad enough to stand eight horses side by side. There are not less than 360 temples inside the complex.

The Fort is also known for its famous palace - the Palace of Cloud ('Badal Mahal') - on top of the structure. This beautiful palace has beautiful rooms with a color combination of green, turquoise, and white, presenting a bright contrast to the earthy colors of the Fort. This place gives the appearance of wandering in the world of clouds. Cloud Palace also offers a fantastic panoramic vista of the downtown.

According to popular folklore, Maharana Kumbha used to burn massive lamps that consumed fifty kilograms of ghee – a special butter that originated in ancient India - and a hundred kilograms of cotton to provide light for the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley.

Great Wall, Kumbhalgarh, India. Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/kittell

The Fort is constructed on the topmost ridges around 1,914 meters above sea level. The fortifications extend to a length of 36 kilometers, which has made this Fort in the international records.

It is stated to be the second-longest wall in the world, after ''the Great Wall of China''. The complex of the Fort has numerous palaces, temples, and gardens making it more magnificent.

General view of the fort at night. Image credit: Kunal 3405 - CC BY-SA 3.0

The hefty walls of the Fort are broad enough to stand eight horses side by side. There are not less than 360 temples inside the Fort complex, including the Shiva Temple.

The robust structure and solid foundation of the Fort made it safe during times of battles and unbeatable.

Yet, despite its magnificence, it is still little known to the outside world.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on February 18, 2023

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