Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India, sprawling across a 180-metre-high plateau for over 13 km in circumference. It is also the most historically charged site in Rajasthan — the fort was besieged three times, and each defeat ended with the women performing jauhar (mass self-immolation) rather than face capture.
The fort contains ruined palaces, temples, towers, and reservoirs spread over a vast area. The Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory) and Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame) are the most iconic structures. The Rani Padmini Palace marks the spot associated with the most famous of the fort's tragic stories, and the Meera Temple commemorates the poet-saint Mirabai who lived here in the sixteenth century. The town below has little to detain you, but the fort itself deserves a half day. An unusual day trip is the Bhojunda Stromatolite Park, where 1.6-billion-year-old fossils are exposed in a field six kilometres from town. Chittorgarh is well connected by rail to Ajmer, Jaipur, Ratlam, and Udaipur.