Rajput architecture is an architectural style associated with the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rulers. Many of the Rajput forts are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and popular tourist attractions.
Rajput architecture represents different types of buildings, which may broadly be classed either as religious or military. These include temples, forts, stepwells, gardens, and palaces. The forts were specially built for defense and military purposes. [1] The Mughal and European architecture influenced indigenous Rajput styles of art and architecture. [1] [2]
Rajput architecture continued well into the 20th and 21st centuries, as the rulers of the princely states of British India commissioned vast palaces and other buildings, such as the Albert Hall Museum, Lalgarh Palace, and Umaid Bhawan Palace. These usually incorporated European styles as well, a practice which eventually led to the Indo-Saracenic style. [3]
The Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Amer, Chittor, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore), a group of six forts built by various Rajput kingdoms and principalities during the medieval period, are among the best examples of Rajput architecture. The ensemble is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other forts include the Mehrangarh Fort and Jaigarh Fort.
The Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Amer, Chittor, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore), a group of six forts built by various Rajput kingdoms and principalities during the medieval period are among the best examples of Rajput Architecture. The ensemble is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other forts include the Mehrangarh Fort and Jaigarh Fort.
The walled city of Jaipur was formed in 1727 by Kacchwaha Rajput ruler Jai Singh II, and is "a unique example of traditional Hindu town planning", [3] following the precepts set out in much Hindu texts. Subsequently, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Rambagh Palace, Jal Mahal and Albert Hall Museum were also built. Udaipur also has several palaces, including the Bagore-ki-Haveli, now a museum, built by an 18th-century chief minister.
The rulers of the princely states of Rajputana continued the tradition of building elaborate palaces almost until independence, with examples such as the Lalgarh Palace in Bikaner, Monsoon Palace in Udaipur, and Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. Many of these are in versions of Indo-Saracenic architecture, often using European architects. [3]
A number of the Rajput dynasties built groups of cenotaph memorials for their members, mostly using the chatri form, and often at the traditional site for cremations. These include the Ahar Cenotaphs outside Udaipur, and Bada Bagh near Jaisalmer. Individual examples include the Jaswant Thada at Jodphur, and Chaurasi Khambon ki Chhatri, Bundi; there are many others.
Māru-Gurjara architecture, or Solaṅkī style, is a distinctive style that began in Rajputana and neighbouring Gujarat around the 11th century by the Solanki Rajputs. Examples of Solanki Rajput architecture include Taranga Jain temple, Rudra Mahalaya Temple, and Modhera Sun Temple. The Dilwara Jain Temples of Mount Abu built between the 11th and 13th centuries CE, The Rani ki vav was also built during this period. [4] [3]
The small but richly carved Hindu Ambika Mata temple in Jagat, built before 960, and The five Kiradu temples, of the 11th or 12th century, are examples of the Pratihar Rajput style. [5] The Jagdish Temple, Udaipur (completed 1651), is an example of a Hindu temple using the Māru-Gurjara style at a late date; in this case a commission of Jagat Singh I, ruler of Mewar. [6] [3] On the exteriors, this style is distinguished from other north Indian temple styles of the period
that the external walls of the temples have been structured by increasing numbers of projections and recesses, accommodating sharply carved statues in niches. These are normally positioned in superimposed registers, above the lower bands of moldings. The latter display continuous lines of horse riders, elephants, and kīrttimukhas. Hardly any segment of the surface is left unadorned.
The main shikhara tower usually has many urushringa subsidiary spirelets on it, and two smaller side-entrances with porches are common in larger temples. [7]
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments were built by the Chandela Rajput rulers from 885 AD to 1050 AD. [10]
The Gwalior Fort is a hill fort near Gwalior. The fort has existed at least since the 10th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. The fort is considered among the finest of Rajput architecture. [12] Most part of the present day fort was built by Man Singh Tomar, the Rajput king who ruled the region from 1486 to 1516. [13]
The Orchha state was founded in 1531 (the 16th century AD) [14] by the Bundela Rajput chief, Rudra Pratap Singh, [15] who became the first King of Orchha, (r. 1501-1531) and also built the Fort of Orchha. [16] The Chaturbhuj Temple was built during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar, by the queen of Orchha, Ganesh Kunwar, [17] while Raj Mandir was built by 'Raja Madhukar Shah' during his reign, 1554 to 1591. [18] [19] The Jahangir Mahal was built in 17th century by Vir Singh Deo as a symbol of welcome to the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
The Singorgarh fort was built by Raja Belo from the Chandela dynasty of Mahoba. [20]
Many Rajput dynasties ruled over Uttar Pradesh in the medieval era. Many forts, palaces and temples were built by the Rajputs. The Kalinjar Fort was built by the Chandela Rajput dynasty in the 10th century. [21] Built on a rocky hill, the fort was also used by the Solankis of Rewa. [21] The Jaichandra fort was built by the Rathore Rajputs of Kannauj.
The Jhansi Fort is attributed to the Bundela Rajput ruler Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo. [22] [23] The Sun temple and forts of Charkhari and Mangal Garh in the Mahoba district were built by the Chandela rulers of Bundelkhand. [24] [25]
The Kangra Fort was built by the ruling Katoch Rajput dynasty. [26] The Arki Fort was built between 1695 - 1700 by Rana Prithvi Singh. The Kutlehar Fort was built by Sansar Chandra, the Rajput ruler of Kangra. [27]
The forts of Derawar and Amarkot were built by Hindu Rajput rulers during the medieval era, and are examples of early Rajput architecture.
Orchha is a town, near the city of Niwari in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by a Bundela rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of covering parts of central & north India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, 80 km from Tikamgarh & 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
Mahoba is a city in Mahoba District of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the Bundelkhand region, well known for the ninth century granite Sun temple built in Pratihara style. It is also well known for the 24 rock-cut Jain tirthankara image on Gokhar hill. Mahoba is known for its closeness to Khajuraho, Lavkushnagar and other historic places like Kulpahar, Charkhari, Kalinjar, Orchha, and Jhansi. The town is connected with railways and state highways.
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.
Kumbhalgarh, also known as the Great Wall of India, is a fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills in the Rajsamand district of the Rajasthan state in India. Situated approximately 84 km (52 mi) from Udaipur, it was built during the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. The wall of Kumbhalgarh is one of the longest continuous walls in the world, spanning 38 kilometers. It is also the birthplace of great king and military leader Maharana Pratap of Mewar.
Tikamgarh is a town and a tehsil in Tikamgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city serves as a district headquarters. The earlier name of Tikamgarh was Tehri consisting of three hamlets, forming a rough triangle. In Tikamgarh town there is locality still known as 'Purani Tehri'. Until Indian independence in 1947, Tikamgarh, formerly called Tehri, was part of the kingdom of Orchha, which was founded in the 16th century by the Bundeli chief Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha. In 1783 the capital of the state was moved to Tehri, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Orchha, which was home to the fort of Tikamgarh, and the town eventually took the name of the fort. The district is famous for the old fort of Kundar known as Garh Kundar, which was built by Khangars and remained the capital of Khangar rulers from 1180 to 1347.
Amer Fort or Amber Fort is a fort located in Amer, Rajasthan, India. Amer is a town with an area of 4 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attraction in Jaipur. Amer Fort is known for its artistic style elements. With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amer Palace.
Kulpahar is a city in Mahoba district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a historical town in the Bundelkhand region. Before 11 Feb 1995 Kulpahar was a Tehsil of Hamirpur District. On 11 Feb 1995 Mahoba District was carved out of Hamirpur, and Kulpahar is now a part of the Mahoba District. Kulpahar is the largest Subdivision of Uttar Pradesh. Kulpahar is known for its closeness to Khajuraho and other historic places like Mahoba, Charkhari, Kalinjar Rath, Orchha, and Jhansi. This town holds relics of temples and man-made water bodies of the Chandela Dynasty
Junagarh Fort is a fort in the city of Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. Raja Dhaj, Ror Kumar, ruled over the principality of Junagarh in the fifth century BC. The fort was originally called Chintamani and was renamed Junagarh or "Old Fort" in the early 20th century when the ruling family moved to Lalgarh Palace outside the fort limits. It is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan which is not built on a hilltop. The modern city of Bikaner has developed around the fort.
Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is one of the very few "living forts" in the world, as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides within the fort. For the better part of its 860-year history, the fort was the city of Jaisalmer. The first settlements outside the fort walls, to accommodate the growing population of Jaisalmer, are said to have come up in the 17th century.
The Gwalior Fort, commonly known as the Gwālīyar Qila, is a hill fort near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. The fort has existed at least since the 10th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. The modern-day fort, embodying a defensive structure and two palaces was built by the Tomar Rajput ruler Man Singh Tomar. The fort has been administered by a number of different rulers in its history.
The architecture of the Indian state of Rajasthan has usually been a regional variant of the style of Indian architecture prevailing in north India at the time. Rajasthan is especially notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rulers, which are popular tourist attractions.
The history of human settlement in the western Indian state of Rajasthan dates back to about 100,000 years ago. Around 5000 to 2000 BCE many regions of Rajasthan belonged as the site of the Indus Valley Civilization. Kalibangan is the main Indus site of Rajasthan, here fire altars have been discovered, similar to those found at Lothal.
Chaturbhuj Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is situated at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, India. The name Chaturbhuj is a combination of 'chatur' meaning "four" and 'bhuj' meaning "arms" which literally translates to "one who has four arms" and refers to Rama an Avatar of Vishnu. The temple has a complex multi-storied structural view which is a blend of temple, fort and palatial architectural features.
The culture of Rajasthan includes many artistic traditions that reflect the ancient Indian way of life. This historical state of India attracts tourists and vacationers with its rich culture, tradition, heritage and monuments.
Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, for both domestic and international tourists. Rajasthan attracts tourists for its historical forts, palaces, art and culture with its slogan "Padharo Mhare Desh " The capital city, Jaipur, also known as Pink City, is a very popular tourist destination and is a part of the Golden Triangle. The Walled City of Jaipur is only the second Indian city to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after Ahmedabad.
Raja Vir Singh Ju Deo, also known as Bir Singh Dev, was a Bundela Rajput chief and the ruler of the kingdom of Orchha in the historic Bundelkhand region of modern Madhya Pradesh. He was a vassal of the imperial Mughal Empire. and ruled between the year 1605 and either 1626 or 1627.
Hill Forts of Rajasthan are six forts, spread across Rajasthan state in northern India. They have been clustered as a series and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. The hill forts series include—Chittor Fort at Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort at Rajsamand, Ranthambore Fort at Sawai Madhopur, Gagron Fort at Jhalawar, Amer Fort at Jaipur and Jaisalmer Fort at Jaisalmer.
Gagron Fort is a hill and water fort and is situated in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, in the Hadoti region of India. It is an example of a hill and water fort. The fort has also been controlled by Rajput, Sher Shah and Akbar. The fort is constructed on the confluence of Ahu River and Kali Sindh River. The fort is surrounded by water on three sides and a moat on the forth side and hence earned the name Jaladurg . It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 as a part of Hill Forts in Rajasthan.
The Orchha Fort complex, which houses a large number of ancient monuments consisting of the fort, palaces, temple, and other edifices, is located in the Orchha town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The fort and other structures within it were built by the Bundela Rajputs starting from the early 16th century by King Rudra Pratap Singh of the Orchha State and others who followed him.