History of Bundi
36 km from Kota is a tiny Picturesque town, Bundi. One of the unexplored
cities with a rich historical wealth. Once a part of Kota, it was ruled
by the Had Chauhans- an offshoots of the famous Chauhan clan who ruled Delhi
and Ajmer.
In 1193 A.D. when Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Sultan Mohammed
Ghauri, some Chauhan nobles seeked shelter in Mewar and became allies
to the Rana while other young warriors move towards the Chambal valley
and overpowered the Meena and Bhil tribals-thus establishing their own
kingdom of Hadoti. Later, two branches of Hadas formed two separates states
of Kota and Bundi, on either side of the river Chambal.
Bundi is surrounded by the Aravalli hills on the three sides and is circumscribed
by a massive wall with four gateways.
Interesting monuments including impressive medieval forts, palaces, havelis,
temples with beautiful stone idols and chattris with carved pillars, along
with a picturesque lake in the heart of the town, add to its charm. Bundi
is very famous for its intricate carvings and murals.
Bundi continues to be a place where life is largely untouched by the
outside world. In fact, even today, Bundi is one place in Rajasthan that
has a delightfully medieval flavour - we felt as if we
had stepped into some kind of a time warp!
The town nestles at the foot of a large rocky hills, dominated by Taragarh
Fort and Garh Palace, lavishly decorated with the
finest murals in the history of Rajput Art. Painted in the
Hara style of the Kota-Bundi school of miniatures in characteristic
shades of blue, green and maroon, they reflect the verdant greenery of the region.
An art connoisseur can spend days in Bundi for these paintings alone.
Bundi is a town of numerous ornate baoris(step-wells) dating back to the
17th century. Raniji ki Baori with its exquisite toran
archway is one of the loveliest.
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