Historian James Tod wrote about Bundi in his celebrated Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (1829) .He estimated the Taragarh Fort of Bundi as one of the most impregnable and unconquerable forts of Rajasthan.”.Gulzaar was equally impressed by the narrow lanes of Bundi .The “Garh Palace” meaning thereby a “palace resembling a fort” overlooks the sober township which has remained magically untouched with the developments of modern civilization.
The special embedded monument on a rocky hill attracted the traveller as he enters the historic city situated on NH-12 (On the Jaipur -Jabalpur route) . On reaching the palace we were greeted by the “red faced monkeys” busy in their amusing actsand a few tourists . The 17th century structure looked strong and gigantic. A part of the monument has been converted into a hotel . We then moved on to go atop the palace. A part of the palace has been given on lease recently to facilitate tourists to see the historic monument. After climbing a short and a little slippery and steep route to go atop the palace we reached the portion of “Chitrashala” opened for general public and is called by this name because of the miniature painting gallery present there. This portion is being taken care of by the state archeology department . We were taken to the gallery by a big moustached gentlemen who told us about the paintings. The paintings were good but needed more attention and care. We could also see the inner portion of the gallery with the help of a lighted match stick. The place was good and had all the scope for better care and revival. We slowly came out of this bautiful gallery and took a little rest on the lush green lawns outside. A birds eye view and the hustle and bustle of the little town from there evoked a great feeling. A group of red faced monkeys were still around and seemed to be following us.
We then moved on to the other part of the palace and reached the Hathi Pole. The entrance looked decent and we entered the main part of the palace which remained closed till recently. The palace has remained uninhabited for 60 years or so and the gradually waning structure is now the home of bats, monkeys and bees (in their hives).We climed up the stairs and reached the main durbaar (meeting hall) hall where the king and his coterie used to sit and rule the state. We went ahead and were shown yet another gallery . This time we saw the miniature paintings with gold touching. The cool breeze and the view from the gallery seemed pleasant. We looked down to see some young children playing cricket . The lovely frame of the main road was visible with trucks and other vehicles passing by.
“The well known paintings in the Chitrashala can be compared with probably the best anywhere in the world” Bhanwar Singh told us.He looked very proud and psssesive about the palace and the place. Bundi is one of the few places in India which can lay their claim to an authentic school of painting .This place is at par with the Kishangarh School, Shekhawati School , Mughal School and the like famous as “The Bundi School”. We climbed the narrow steps further and reached the top of the palace. I thanked God ,that there were no more stairs anymore. We took rest there for a while. The sky was partly filled with kites and the weather pleasant. Then we started receding and on our way back took a few photographs. The Bundi Palace, built of locally quarried stone, presents one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. Intricately carved brackets, pillars and balconies and sculpted elephants are used liberally. Of special interest here are the Ratan Daulat ,Diwan-I-Am, Hathi Pol and the Naubat Khana. Also located in the palace is the famous Chitra Shala (or the painted hall) which provides a colourful glimpse of history - the walls and ceiling of this palace are completely covered with paintings of the Bundi school. The paintings have religious themes . The colors are limited to blue, green and turquoise. A sheesh mahal is also present inside. Hunting and court scenes, festivals, processions, animal and bird life and scenes from Lord Krishna’s life are still in very good condition.The Badal Mahal (or the cloud palace) has paintings with mythological themes.Different moods of Lord Krishna has been depicted.Another section close to the Badal Mahal is the Phool Mahal “Palace of Flowers”.The paintings depict the colorful festivals of Teej and Holi and the colorful pageantry. A splendid procession of troops is also seen. The Chatra Mahal is adorned with with brilliant jewels and gold leaves.The murals display hindu gods and goddesses ,king at his durbar,queens in an outing, wild animals and the ceilings are filled with golden flowers.The guide informed us that if there was one thing that has identified this place globally, then it is the Bundi Painting and the Palace .The paintings inside distinctively had an impact of the mughal style and had possibly originated from Persian artistes.
The way to the Taragarh (or the Star Fort) was quite adventurous. A lake named after Jait Meena and the location around on the way was no less than a picnic spot. A small building on the banks of the lake called “Sukh Mahal” looked pleasantly set. We were told that the building was the staying place of Sir Rudyard Kipling during his many visits to this place. We moved along the lake side road with the garden and palm trees around. After crossing a big gate we entered the countryside. Then a stretch of zig-zag road let us to the front of a big tower. A TV Tower was unusually present near the old monument . The Taragarh is an old fort built and looks rather secluded. Such forts were built by the rulers from the safety point of view and with the aim to make the enemie’s move most difficult. The fort had several tankas or water reservoirs for usage for the king and his people. The layout of the place is good and organized. We then reached a another monument called “Bhim Burj”. The place was presently utilized as wireless office. The view of the township from the Burj (battlement) was superb.The fort is said to have been built on a 430 m high hill top built in the 14th Century by Ber Singh Hada . We spent no time and made our cameras busy. Another cenotaph nearby was equally attractive . The setting sun and the monument were just right for a couple of snaps. We went around the other parts of the fort and could see the town from different points. The Taragarh is somewhat remote and not many people come for a visit here too frequently and thus a few wild animals like the snakes, repltiles and sometimes the panther have been seen here. The local people have also utilized this place for grazing their cattles. We came out of the fortress and got a glimpse of the beautiful scenery and the highway. I thought for a moment that the rainy season should always be a treat here. The hotel giants Taj & The Oberoi had ventured to make a hotel at Taragarh and on the terrain below a few years back but the project unfortunately did not take shape. The presence of a big group and good hotels in the area could have changed the total scenario of the place. We also could see the beautiful view of the Jait Sagar and the natural view around. The modern TV tower looked a little unusual near the monument ,but justified its presence with the service it was offering to the entire region.
As we went through the highway below we saw the lighted Garh Palace and the Taragarh , holding in itself moments of history, rajput architecture and culture always inviting the passerby to come and peep inside it. Set in a narrow encircling gorge, the palaces and fortress of Bundi have a fairy tale like quality about them. Few other places in India have such a picturesque location. "Jeypore Palace may be called the Versailles of India; Udaipur's House of State is dwarfed by the hills round it and the spread of the Pichola Lake; 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 memorably alluded Sir Rudyard Kipling in Kim and even today the majestic Garh Palace and the equally magnificient Taragarh stand a solid testimony to time. It is a pride of this beautiful city with a different fervour and culture, and has always been the prime monument for the visitor on one hand and on the other it depicts the strong will ,character and creativity of the Rajput king’s and has in its wrap glorious moments of history .
Please come back and visit again!
