Ranthambore Fort and Temples

The inscription at the entrance reads “Ranthambore Fort has been inscribed upon the world heritage list of the convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, under serial nomination ‘Hill Forts of Rajasthan’. Inscription on this list confirms the outstanding universal value of a cultural or natural property which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.”

Location – Ranthambore is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan and is a major tourist attraction as it houses the “Ranthambore National Park”.

How to Reach

By Train: Sawai Madhopur (SWM) is the nearest railway station and the fort lies at a distance of about 13 kms.
By Air: Jaipur’s Sanganer airport is the nearest and located approximately at a distance of 150 km.

Entry Fee – None

Cost – A jeep tour from your stay till Ranthambore Fort and the temples would approximately cost Rs 1000 for two hours. From the entry gate of the fort, one needs to walk down further to explore the area. Ours was arranged through Ranthambore Vatika Resort.

History

Ruined, yet majestic; the origin of Ranthambore fort is still disputed. Most theories owe the construction to Chauhan Rajput kings. It is believed that their reign came to an end after the fort was seized by Alauddin Khilji (then Delhi ruler) after many attempts. It was subsequently taken over by Akbar and remained in the possession of Mughal Empire until mid 18^th century. Later, the nearby village of Sherpur was fortified and renamed as “Sawai Madhopur City” by Sawai Madho Singh, ruler of Jaipur.

The fort was solely built as a hunting ground for the maharajas of Jaipur. This was ceased post-independence and effective 2013, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the fort premises, there are three Hindu temples (Ganesha Temple, being the most famous of them) and a Jain temple. A rush of devotees can be seen mostly from Jaipur on a weekend or locals from nearby villages.