Day 69 - Bundi

Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of the state of Rajasthan.  It is of great architectural importance since this small city is dotted with ornate forts, splendid palaces, and stepwell tanks also known as baoris in the local dialect. Bundi city is the administrative capital of Bundi District. Bundi is believed to have derived its name from a previous Meena ruler known as Bunda Meena. Bunda-Ka-Nal was the name given to this city previously. The word Nal means “narrow ways'. Afterward, Rao Deva Hara, who took over Bundi from Jaita Meena in A.D. 1342, renamed the adjacent area. n 17th century, during the reign of the Emperor Jahangir, Rao Ratan Singh defeated Prince Khurram at the battle of Burhanpur and showed his loyalty towards the Emperor Jahangir. In the same battle, the 14 years old son of Rao Rattan Singh, Madho Singh proved himself as a courageous warrior.People of Bundi mostly belong to Rajput clan known for its chivalry and heroism. In 1193 AD when Prithvi Raj Chauhan was defeated by Sultan Muhammad Ghauri, some Chauhan nobles seek shelter in Mewar and became allies to the Rana while other warriors moved towards the Chambal valley and overpowered the Meena and Bhil tribals - thus establishing their own kingdom of Hadoti. Later, two branches of Hadas formed two separate states of Kota and Bundi, on either side of the River Chambal.As music is an integral part of the culture of this region, several vocalists and musicians inhabit the district. Another integral part of the Bundi culture is Bundi School of Painting, which draws influences from Mughal painting and Ragamala painting.


How to reach here: 

By Air:The nearest airport to Bundi is the Sanganer Airport located at Jaipur, which is about 215 km from Bundi.

By Rail: Nearest railhead is at Kota, which is 35 km away from Bundi.


Best time to visit: October to March.


Languages spoken: Rajasthani, Hindi.


Must eat: Rajasthani Bhindi, Makki Paneer Pakoda, Khasta Puri.


Famous Restaurants: Out of Blue, Fun and Food Shisha, Tom and Jerrys, Rainbow, Nawal Sagar Palace.


Places you must visit: 

Bijoliya  town was one of the important centres of art and architecture during the reign of Chauhan rulers. The Chauhan rulers also constructed three Lord Shiva temples in the town during the 13th century. These temples are currently in ruins and are situated around a water tank called Mandakini Kund.

Undeshwar Mahadev Temple


Mandakini Kund



Rameshwar is a sacred place having a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated in the Aravalli mountain range and is known for a waterfall with a small pool below. The caves at this site also have some of the paintings inscribed on the walls that display the artistic killings, which took place during the medieval age.Rameshwar is a sacred place having a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated in the Aravalli mountain range and is known for a waterfall with a small pool below. The caves at this site also have some of the paintings inscribed on the walls that display the artistic killings, which took place during the medieval age.



Dugari is situated close to Bundi and is renowned for its Kanak Sagar Lake. This lake is full of migratory birds during the winter season. There is also a small fort on the banks of this lake, which is known for its Bundi style paintings. These paintings display the tales of chemistry (Ras Lila) between Radha and Krishna.

Step Wells were originally constructed with an aim to provide water to Bundi during the time of a famine. These step wells are also called as baori, kund, sagar and vav by the local inhabitants. All these kunds are constructed in different shapes and help in storing water. There are around 50 old wells and tanks in the district that have social significance among the local people.

Chitrashala is also called as Umaid Mahal and lies inside the Garh Palace. This structure was built during the 18th century and has a set of rooms on the elevated podium. There are paintings on the walls of Chitrashala that display the Ragamala and Ras Lila stories.

Bhoraji-ka-Kund is a well-known step well, which was built during the 16th century and attracts lots of birds during the monsoon season.

Kshar Bagh is an old garden, which is located very close to Shikar Burj and portrays the ancient architecture of Rajasthan.It also has some of the famous cenotaphs of Bundi rulers that portray the royal architecture.

Phool Sagar is a famous Phool Mahal, which was constructed by the Maharaja Bahadur Singh in 1945. The palace was never finished and is still in half-complete state.

Badal Mahal is situated within the Taragarh Fort and is known for the ancient mural paintings. The walls of this mahal also have paintings dating back to the medieval period. These paintings also have influence of the Chinese culture, showing the traditional cultivation of poppy seeds and opium trade with China.

Indergarh Fort was constructed in the 17th century by Indrasal Singh Hada beside a mountain. This fort comprises Janana Mahal, Supari Mahal and Hawa Mahal inside its complex. All these mahals have wall paintings. The fort has huge walls and four gates,  located in a narrow valley. 

Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary  is the main habitat of tigers and houses animals like antelopes, hyenas, panthers and wild boars. A special permission has to be taken from the state forest department for visiting this wildlife sanctuary.

 

Jait Sagar is a beautiful lake in the Aravalli range which is full of lotus flowers. Built by Jait Meena, it is surrounded with a huge wall and four gateways that make the way to its entry. 

Sukh Mahal was constructed by Umaid Singh. The famous writer Rudyard Kipling used to live at this area, which is now converted into an irrigation rest-house. There is a white marble chhatri or an umbrella which is placed at the second storey of the Sukh Mahal. It also has about 66 cenotaphs that are known for their cream coloured marble friezes.

Garh Palace was commissioned by Rao Balwant Singh and is also known as Bundi Palace. There is an  edifice in the palace along with fading murals on the walls.

Nagar Sagar Kund is a set of twin step wells, which is located just outside the Chauhan Gate. It was constructed to provide water to the famine hit region of Bundi.

Nawal Sagar Lake is an artificial lake, which is visible from the Taragarh Fort and is located within the heart of Bundi. The mirror image of the entire city can be easily seen in the waters of this lake, which flows in the middle of Bundi. It is a square shaped lake, which houses a small shrine of Lord Varuna.This shrine is half submerged into the lake water and is surrounded by various baoris.

Moti Mahal is a massive royal apartment of the fort, which houses an embellished ceiling along with mirror work. This palace was constructed using 80 pounds gold along with selected stones.

Raniji ki Baori was constructed by Rani Nathavati in 1699, who was the youngest queen of King Rao. It is a 165 ft step well, which houses a narrow entrance along with four pillars.  There are also stone elephant statues at this site that stand in each corner of the structure. The well is situated within a small park in the town, which measures around 46 m in depth and has a torana gateway and curved pillars. 

Chaurasi Khambon ki Chhatri is essentially a porch, which is supported by 84 pillars that was constructed by Rao Anirudh Singh in 1740 for honouring the services of Deva. It is a two storey structure, which is erected on a tall podium and is considered as a place of worship.All the pillars of this structure are known for the images of the lifestyle of Rajput kings during the 17th century. The base of the structure is engraved with animal pictures, while the second storey is surrounded with four small domes.

Dhabhai Kund is situated near Raniji ki Baori and is known for its old geometric construction. It was constructed during the 16th century and is famous for murals, intricate carvings and murals that are commonly found in the district of Bundi. 

Chhatra Mahal was constructed by Chatar Sal in 1660 and depicts the strong rule of Rajputs during the Mughal dynasty. Mughals used to construct all the monuments using redstone  but Chatar Sal had a good coalition with Shah Jahan and built this mahal with stones from the quarries of Bundi. Visitors can find mural style paintings inside this mahal along with glass and ivory work on the gates.Hathiya Sal and a small pool are other important attractions in the premises that can be visited from the city of Bundi.

Hathi Pol is a major entrance to the famous Garh Palace of the Bundi city. Travellers can see two huge gates at this palace, out of which Hathi Pol has two elephant statues at the gate forming an arac. It is an arc shaped entrance to the palace, which was constructed by Rao Ratan Singh.

Shikar Burj is basically an old hunting cottage, which is situated in the forests of Bundi. This cottage was once owned by the rulers of Bundi and presently, it has been converted into a famous picnic spot.

Taragarh Fort, also called as the Star Fort, was constructed on a hillside in 1354. This fort has huge cannon known as Garbh Gunjam and a fortification called the Bhim Burj. There are three tanks in the fort premises that never dry up and are popular for traditional methods of construction.

Keshav Rai Patan is one of the oldest cities in the district.There is a Lord Vishnu Temple in the region, which is known as Keshavraj Temple. It was constructed in 1601 by Maharaja Shartusal of Bundi in the Bundi architectural style.

Kedareshwar Dham is one of the holy places situated in the district of Bundi, which lies in the state of Rajasthan. The dham is located on the banks of Ban Ganga and was built by Rao Raja Kolhan of Bambavade  The famous temples of Kedareshwar and Badrinarayan are also situated close to this dham.