Maharani Shri Padmini Palace

Beautiful!

A mist of curiosity surrounds you as you stand in the 3-storeyed white grandeur called Padmini Palace in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. The stories of bravery lying beneath, the carvings of royalty resting underneath, the sands of time in Rajasthan, catches you mesmerized.

Sometimes it is a legendary figure that becomes a page in the history books and sometimes it is a structure that stands tall depicting the best of a great glorious past. Chittorgarh Fort located in Rajasthan is one such place that continues to fascinate the historians even today. It stands as India’s biggest fort and is a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site.nAn absolute magnificence that the Chittorgarh Fort is, it stretches wonderfully over the Aravalis outlining the mountains. Padmavati Palace located in the heart of Chittorgarh Fort stands testimony to the legends and stories. The palace remained as the fond home of Rani Padmini, also hailed as Queen Padmavati. The braveheart queen of Chittorgarh known for her flawless and incomparable beauty once resided here and this place is straight out of a class act architecture. Located in the close proximity of the Chittorgarh Fort, the Palace is a must-visit attraction.nThe legend of Rani Padmavati goes along with the palace which can be spotted from the top of 590-feet-tall-hill in Chittorgarh Fort. The perfect altitude and majestic appearance of the fort make it a perfect place from where you can find the uninterrupted views of the Chittorgarh and also the palace where once lived the most beautiful woman of the Rajputana. The Padmavati Palace, located to the South of the Chittorgarh Fort, is also special because of its historical relevance.nLocated 2 hours far from Udaipur by road, Padmavati Palace stands as the prime attraction of Chittorgarh Fort that is one of the finest specimen of architecture in the world. Padmavati Palace is the prime attraction of the 700-acre premises of the Chittorgarh Fort.nApart from the Padmavati Palace Chittorgarh and the palace of Rawal Ratan Singh, the fort campus also encompasses prominent structures that make for living example of art from the 12th and 13th century. Jain temples, pillars studded with ornaments, Gaumukh reservoir, Meerabai’s temple where she worshipped Lord Krishna, and Rana Kumbha’s Palace – one of the most massive monuments in the fort, are some of the prominent structures that make for the prominent sightseeing attraction in Chittorgarh Fort.

The urban legend of town says that's the queen of chittor Rani Padmini used to live in this palace surrounded by water body. No one can approach to palace without a boat. In today's era, during monsoon still no body can reach into the palace because of water. During a strong summer all water evaporated but still can't get into the palace (beacuse it's prohibited ).nnA must visit place for history lovers!

Padmavati was an exceptionally beautiful princess of the Singhal kingdom (Sri Lanka). Ratan Sen, the Rajput ruler of Chittor Fort, heard about her beauty from a talking parrot named Hiraman. After an adventurous quest, he won her hand in marriage and brought her to Chittor. Ratan Sen was captured and imprisoned by Alauddin Khalji, the Sultan of Delhi. While Ratan Sen was in prison, the king of Kumbhalner Devapal became enamoured with Padmavati's beauty and proposed to marry her. Ratan Sen returned to Chittor and entered into a duel with Devapal, in which both died. Alauddin Khalji laid siege to Chittor to obtain Padmavati. Facing a defeat against Khalji, before Chittor was captured, she and her companions committed Jauhar (self-immolation) thereby defeating Khalji's aim and protecting their honour. Coupled to the Jauhar, the Rajput men died fighting on the battlefield.nnMany other written and oral tradition versions of her life exist in Hindu and Jain traditions. These versions differ from the Sufi poet Jayasi's version. For example, Rani Padmini's husband Ratan Sen dies fighting the siege of Alauddin Khalji, and thereafter she leads a jauhar. In these versions, she is characterised as a Hindu Rajput queen, who defended her honour against a Muslim invader. Over the years she came to be seen as a historical figure and appeared in several novels, plays, television serials and movies. However, while Khalji's siege of Chittor in 1303 CE is a historical event, many modern historians question the authenticity of the Padmini legends.