Kumbhalgarh Festival: Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan Cultural Fest

Kumbhalgarh Festival: The Kumbhalgarh fort, cradled in the Aravali Ranges, north of Udaipur, hosts the vibrant and colourful Kumbhalgarh Festival. This three-day festival is an incredible effort by the Department Of Tourism of the state to promote the culture and heritage of Rajasthan. The event is divided into two parts- day and night. In the daytime there is the folk performances by traditional artistes and competitions like turban tying and henna applying. On the other hand, the night is filled with impressive explosions of lights, sound, colours and dance. The Kumbhalgarh Festival is a must visit for ardent patrons of art, music and dance.

Kumbhalgarh Festival: Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajsamand

Festival Name:	Kumbhalgarh Festival
Location:	Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan 313325 India
Event Date:	01 – 03 December, 2024
Time:	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Organised By:	Department of Tourism and District Administration
www:	https://www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/fairs-and-festivals.html

Located 84 kms north of Udaipur in the wilderness, Kumbhalgarh is the second most important citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. Cradled in the Aravali Ranges the fort was built in the 15th century AD by Rana Kumbha. The inaccessibility and hostility of the topography lends a semblance of invincibility to the fort. It served the rulers of Mewar as a refuge in times of strife. The fort also served as refuge to King Udai of Mewar in his early childhood when Banbir killed Vikramaditya and usurped the throne. It is of immense sentimental significance for the people being the birthplace of Mewar’s legendary king Maharana Pratap. The fort is self-contained in all respect to withstand a protracted siege. Its defences could be breached only once by the combined armies of the Mughal and of Amber primarily for scarcity of drinking water. There is a magnificent array of temples built by the Mauryas of which the most picturesque place is the Badal Mahal or the palace of the clouds. The fort also offers a superb bird’s eye view of the surroundings. The fort’s massive wall stretches some 36 kms with a width enough to take eight horses abreast. Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century. The fort’s large compound has very interesting ruins and a walk around it can be very educative.

Activities:

• Folk Performances
• Classical Dance
• Instrumental Music

Special highlights of the festival:

• The festival is divided into two sections. In the daytime there are exhibitions by the locals where they display regional specialities like ethnic wear, jewellery, handicrafts, souvenirs, etc. In the evening it is full of sound, light, dance and music.
• Certain interesting competitions among locals and foreigners are conducted such as Pagadi Bandho (Tying the turban), Tug of war, musical chair etc.
• Visitors can also witness the historical and quite popular puppet show

How to reach:

• The nearest airport is Maharana Pratap airport, Debok, which is 115 KMs away.
• The nearest convenient railway station is City railway station udaipur, which is 82 KMs away.
• The nearest major city is Kelwara, which is 8KMs away.