Travel to Bundi and Ajmer

Travel to Bundi and Ajmer

TaragarhFort or Star Fort is the most impressive of structures of city of Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. A rather ramshackle fort, with its overgrown vegetation, It was constructed in 1354 upon a steep hillside and built under the reign of King Ajaypal Chauhan. There are three gateways to the fort, well known as Lakshmi Pol, Phuta Darwaza and Gagudi ki Phatak. Most parts of these impressive gateways are now in ruins. During its heyday, Taragarh Fort was renowned for its tunnels crisscrossing the entire hillside. However, these tunnels are now inaccessible for want of proper maps. The largest of its battlements is the 16th century bastion known as the Bhim Burj, on which was once mounted a particularly large cannon called Garbh Gunjam, or 'Thunder from the Womb'.

This erstwhile Chauhan bastion has some huge water reservoirs. These reservoirs were built to store water and supply it to the residents during time of crisis. The reservoirs have been carved out of the rocky base of the fort. Rani Mahal is a small palace within the fort complex, built for the wives and concubines of rulers. The Mahal has, however lost most of its charm as the shine of its spectacular murals and stained glass windows have completely faded away. The fort also has Miran Saheb ki Dargah. He was the governor of the fort and laid down his life in an encounter

Bundi is a town in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. It is of particular architectural note for its ornate forts, palaces, and stepwell reservoirs known as baoris. It is the administrative headquarters of Bundi District. Bundi has many temples, so it is called "Chhoti Kashi".

There are over 50 stepwells in Bundi, of which only a handful have been maintained. They used to be the only source of water for the town until a piped water system was introduced. After that, these stepwells were abandoned and the monuments fell into disrepair. Most of the former stepwells inside the town have become refuse dumps, and are slipping out of the public consciousness.[citation needed]

The Raniji ki Baori is a noted and well-maintained stepwell, some 46 metres (151 ft) deep. It was built in 1699 by Rani Nathavatji. The steps built into the sides of the water-well made water accessible even when at a very low level. The baori is one of the largest examples of its kind in Rajasthan.

The Nagar Sagar twin step wells are identical step wells crafted in masonry on either side of the main spine of the town. The Dabhai Kund, also known as the Jail Kund, is the largest of the stepwells and, although slightly overgrown, still shows carvings on the numerous steps leading down to water level