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Today I take you on a beautiful journey to the beautiful medieval city of ‘Bundi’ in Rajasthan that not only has a rich history but is endowed with natural beauty in the form of mountains, rivers, lakes & forests. Situated near a narrow gorge, the city of Bundi is surrounded by the Aravalli Range on its three sides. The Aravallis which run for approximately 700 kms are among the oldest fold mountains in the world. Bundi is like a hidden precious gem of Rajasthan. Those who have visited it have definitely fallen in love with it.
Hadoti region of Rajasthan comprises of the four districts of Bundi, Kota, Jhalawar & Baran. It is a mountainous region with valleys & plateaus and it is considered to be the most fertile area of Rajasthan. It was a separate princely state and Bundi was the capital of Hadoti in the medieval era. Hadauti is the language that is spoken in the Hadoti region.
In November 2017, after attending a wedding in the family at Jaipur, I & my wife decided to make a short trip to Bikaner, Kota & Bundi.
Brief history of Bundi:
In ancient times prior to 13th century, the area around Bundi was inhabited by various local tribes, of which the Parihar tribes Meena were prominent. Bundi is said to derive its name from a former Meena tribal chief called Bunda Meena. Bundi was previously called “Bunda-Ka-Nal”, Nal meaning “narrow passage’ – as to reach Bundi one had to pass through a narrow passage in the mountains. After the defeat of the Chauhans by Mohammad Ghori’s army in 1192, the Chauhans were pushed down South from Ajmer and they established their kingdom at Bijolia. A group of nobles from Chauhan dynasty called Hadas branched out and annexed Bundi from Meena & Bhil tribes under the leadership of Rao Deva Singh. Their name was given to the region which was now called Hadoti. For the next three centuries Hadas ruled Bundi as vassals of Sisodia dynasty of Mewar.
Prince Jait Singh of Bundi captured Kota in 1264, and Kota became a part of Bundi and it became a ‘jagir’ of the eldest prince of Bundi. Bundi was generally loyal to the Mughals from the second half of 16th century onwards. It ruled by the title of Rao until 1569, when Emperor Akbar conferred the title of Rao Raja upon Rao Surjan Singh. Kota had became a separate state in 1624 and since then it started becoming powerful and that started the downfall of Bundi. As lot of migration happened to Kota, the population of Bundi declined. In 1707, Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I conferred the title of Maharao Raja upon Raja Budh Singh of Bundi. Later Bundi maintained cordial relations with the British also and Hada troops fought along with the British army in their battle against the Marathas. For this the Marathas punished them by ravaging their kingdom at regular intervals and also made them pay tribute till 1817. Bundi entered into an alliance with the British in 1818 and got their protection. Bundi maintained its independent status until 1949 when the last ruler signed the treaty of accession to join the Indian Union. The Hadas were great patron of art & architecture and both flourished in Bundi & Kota during their reign.
Our trip to Bundi:
After attending a wedding in the family at Jaipur, I & my wife decided to make a short trip to Bikaner, Kota & Bundi. After reaching Kota from Bikaner, we stayed at Kota for two nights & three days and made a day trip to Bundi. Bundi is 35 kms from Kota and the road is excellent. We left Kota by cab at 8.30 am after an early breakfast and we were in Bundi before 9.30 am. As the road takes a turn on the mountain, the city of Bundi suddenly comes into view and you leave a gasp of amazement at the sight of the beautiful city under the backdrop of the magnificent Garh Palace perched on the opposite hill and the boundary walls of Taragarh fort above it.
Our guide: I had read a lot about Mr. Omprakash Sharma alias Mr. Kukki on the net and I had booked him in advance as our guide for the day. He is a guide cum honorary archaeologist. Mobile no. 9828404527/ 9001000188. Without any formal education, his passion for exploration & archaeology has taken him to the nook & corner of Bundi district. He charges Rs 2000/- for 8 hours – a bit high but worth it because depending upon the interest of the tourists he shows them places which a normal guide wouldn’t have access to. He is very popular among the foreigners.
Fascinating Bundi
Bundi is a town caught in a time warp- it is fascinating town that still retains its old world charm and the medieval grandeur- dotted with forts, palaces, lakes & baoris, it enchants you with its feel of the bygone era. The quaint little quiet town is one of the few places in Rajasthan that still retain much of the magical fairy tale charm of centuries past. It is a delightful feeling to move around the colourful bazar, admire & pick up some of the local handicrafts from the colourful shops, gaze at the murals painted on the walls of the houses, interact with the hospitable, friendly & simple residents and relish some local delicacies.
Bundi attracts nothing like the tourist crowds of places such as Jaipur, Udaipur or Jaisalmer. It is yet to come on the itinerary of most of the domestic tourists but remains a popular destination among the foreigners who are looking for peaceful environs.
It is a walled city surrounded by walls with four access doors.
Garh Palace
The renowned English writer, Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling had visited Bundi as a State guest. He got so enamoured by the city that he stayed on at the Sukh Mahal by the lake for 6 months and penned a major part of his famous novel ‘Kim’ here. In fact, so impressed was he with the Garh Palace that this is what he wrote about the Bundi palace:
‘Jaipur Palace may be called the Versailles of India … Jodhpur’s House of strife, gray towers on red rock, is the work of giants, but the Palace of Bundi, even in broad daylight, is such a palace as men build for themselves in uneasy dreams – the work of goblins rather than of men.’
Garh Palace, one of the best palaces of Rajasthan was built by Raja Rao Ratan Singh Hada between 1607 to 1631. It is a fine specimen of Rajput architecture and is called Bundi Palace by locals. Later kings kept on adding to the palace. It houses some of the superb Bundi frescoes. Taragarh fort towers above the Palace and the city & lake below facing the Palace make a beautiful setting. One enters the Palace through a gigantic gate which has elephants built in stone on each sides on which the pillars rest. The huge wooden doors are inlaid with ivory. The gate is called Hathi Pol and the visitor enters into Ratan Daulat which is a stable for nine horses and also to house elephants. Upstairs a magnificent white marble throne attracts attention. Then we enter Chatra Mahal built by Maharao Chatrasal Singh. It has beautiful murals in turquoise green, blue and yellow tones. Then you go to ‘Phool Mahal’ & ‘Badal Mahal’. Badal Mahal or the Palace of Clouds has beautiful paintings that depict the influence of the Chinese culture. The restoration work of the frescoes was going on when we visited it. A team of experts were studying the colors & the method which was used for the painting so as to be able to restore the frescoes to their original glory.
There is an entry fee for the Palace and it remains open for public from 8 am to 5 pm.
Chitrashala
Bundi School of painting is an important aspect of Rajasthan style of miniature painting and it flourished from late 16th to 19th centuries. Bundi paintings emphasized on hunting, court scenes, festivals, processions, life of nobles, lovers, animals, birds and scenes from mythology & Lord Krishna’s life.
The Ummed Mahal also known as Chitra Mahal, adjacent & connected to Garh Palace houses the famous ‘Chitrashala’. It was once a spectacular garden palace that teemed with numerous fountains as well as pools that housed exotic fish.
It is kept closed and opened only to select visitors to avoid damage or disfiguring of the murals by miscreants. My guide Kukkiji managed to get it opened for me. I felt as if I have entered a fairy land on seeing the pavilion with open art galleries where murals & miniature paintings occupy every inch of the space on the walls & ceilings. Elaborate colorful paintings depict scenes from ‘Ragmala’, several episodes from Krishna’s life at Gokul, other mythological stories, beautiful maidens and court scenes. Krishna represented in blue is easily recognizable. The famous Chitra Shala in Bundi provides a colourful glimpse of history of Bundi School of Painting. The walls, ceiling of this palace are completely covered with paintings which are still in very good condition. These splendid paintings in the Chitrashala are par excellence and can be compared with probably the best anywhere in the world
Even though I captured more than 200 paintings on my camera, here are some of my favourites for your viewing !!
Step-wells
Once upon a time Bundi had 50 step-wells as they were the only source of water. After the piped water supply started many step-wells were filled up, some became garbage dumps. Today only 4 survive as a testimony to the earlier times.
Raniji ki Baori, also known as ‘Queen’s Stepwell’, is a famous stepwell built in 1699 by Rani Nathavati Ji, the younger queen of the ruling king Rao Raja Anirudh Singh of Bundi. This multi-storied stepwell displays excellent carvings of Gajraj with his trunk turned inwards, giving the impression of having drunk from the baori on its pillars. Its high arched gate gives it an inviting appearance.
Dabhai Kund is shaped like an inverted pyramid, the Dabhai Kund, also known as Jail Kund, is the largest of its kind in Bundi. The fantastic carvings on the steps that lead to the water alone are reason enough to warrant a visit.
Nagar Sagar Kund located outside the Chauhan Gate is a set of twin step wells, was constructed to provide water during times of famine.
Taragarh fort
Taragarh fort also known as Star fort is perched at an height of 500 meters on a highly wooded hill and towers above the Palace. It is an impressive fort built by Rao Singh Bar in 1354 AD. It had huge water tanks that never dried and were used to supply water to the Palace below. It also houses a huge cannon known as Garbh Ganjam mounted on Bhim Burj. It is a steep climb to the fort and is a half a day trip. I had to skip it due to paucity of time.
84 PIllared Cenotaph is supported by 84 columns. Commissioned by Rao Anirudh, the Maharaja of Bundi, this cenotaph is a tribute to his beloved wet nurse, Deva, who he loved dearly. A popular tourist attraction, this impressive structure is decorated with carvings of deer, elephants and apsaras.
Nawal Sagar Lake is an artificial lake that is a major tourist attraction and can even be seen from the Taragarh Fort. There is a half-submerged temple dedicated to Lord Varun Dev in its centre. What makes the lake unique is that one can see the reflection of nearby palaces and temples in the water.
Shikhar Burj was the hunting lodge of the rulers and was located at a beautiful site in the forests. When we went there it was in a ruined & neglected state. I don’t know whether it has been restored now.
Sukh Sagar Mahal the summer palace is located on the banks of or Phul Sagar lake – a very large lake where lakhs of lotus bloom during winter & monsoon. The residents of Bundi rejoice if during monsoon the lake overflows !! This palace has been converted into a museum now.
An amazing discovery: Kukkiji took us to a wonderful isolated spot some 25 kms from Bundi in the Chambal ravines with beautiful landscapes where he had discovered the remains of a temple belonging to the Gupta era. The single mukhi Shivling with the figure of Shiva carved on it stands out for its size & beauty and was lying in the farm land. What a thrilling experience it was as if we have made that amazing discovery !! I hope by now the Archaeology Department has shifted it to a museum.
In earlier times a majority of the houses in Bundi were painted in yellow colour but now people have started using blue colour like that of Jodhpur to keep the houses cool during the warm summer months.
After spending 4 hours in Bundi we left for the temples of Bijolia & Menal. I felt that it was sort of a rushed trip and any one going to Bundi should plan for a two days trip with an overnight stay. The best period to visit Bundi is between November to February. The winter in Bundi is moderate.
Bundi has many options for stay – it has heritage palaces, havelis & kothis which have been converted into hotels. There are budget hotels too and there is facility for home stay also. There are several eating joints serving the mouth watering Rajasthani food & sweets.
Bundi is just 35 kms from Kota and it is about 200 kms from the state capital Jaipur. Chittor Fort is about 125 kms from Bundi.
Home to classic architecture and ancient art, this town truly has the power to leave you amazed and make your Rajasthan trip more enriching.
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You can reach me on rameshkabra1956@gmail.com for any clarification or information.
Next Saturday I take you to the historic city of Kota that has much more to offer to a visitor than only being known as the competitive exams Coaching Centre Capital of India or for Doria Sarees & Kota Stone.
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