The fort rises 76 metres from the desert plain on a hill called Trikuta. Built in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal, it is one of the few living forts in the world -- several thousand people still live inside, along with temples, havelis, restaurants, and guest houses. The sandstone is so particular in its yellow-gold colour that the fort is known as Sonar Quila, the Golden Fort.
Enter through the main Hawa Pol gate and follow the winding lanes up to the central square. The Jain temples inside -- a complex of seven interconnected shrines built between the 12th and 16th centuries -- have some of the most intricate stone carving in Rajasthan.
The fort has survived numerous sieges, but its defenders practised jauhar -- collective self-immolation -- when defeat was inevitable, so that the women and children could not be taken captive. This happened at least three times in the fort's history, most recently in 1294.