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Palace On Wheels
Chittorgarh Fort - Moonrise in the Ruins -
Traditionally when the defenders of this fort were faced with certain defeat the
women would throw themselves on the fire just before the men would run out of
the gates and fight fiercely to the death.
Of the three major sieges, the
first one occurred in 1303 when Alauddin Khilji of Delhi attacked to gain
possession of Padmini, the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh. The king had
asked to glimpse the renowned beauty of the queen. From her reflection in
a mirror, Alauddin Khilji was inspired to launch a bloody siege of the
Chittorgarh fort. In spite of gaining control of the fort, the goal remained
unachievable since the queen Padmini along with other Rajput women marched in
procession to an underground cave and immolated themselves. The ‘Jauhar’
told of in history was performed twice more in the fort's long, active
history.
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