As for the food we only had tea and poha at a dhaba there where a man told me that the ruin of the palace only has the outer walls and base and also that Bijolia Fort gates were built as such that noone could spot the main entrance easily in the Jungle. TheBijolia town is surrounded by the dence Bhil forests and the Aravallis. Since Bijolia was a very deserted area as per the tourism goes you will not find it on any tour plans but Taxi services take you there and the people are friendly enough to show you around. Next stop was, Chittorgarh, the land of Bravehearts. People say Shakti Singh Chundawat's decedents still stay there. It was the area of Rawal Chundawat that was later given to Shakti by Maharana Pratap when he was made the Rawa in 1578AD. The small town of Baasi comes in this road. If one wants to travel to Bhilwara as well they can spend a day there separately and see the remains of the Chauhan fort but from what the villagers said its not a tourist site.
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The broken temples stand witness to the turmoils during Aurangzeb's time.įrom Menal starts the Highway to Chittorgarh and the Bhilwara Jungles. Unlike his father Karan Singh who was a friend to Shah Jahan he didn't consider Mughals as friends. Raj Singh had then stated that finally by defeating the Mughals he had paid homage to the souls of Chittorgarh who did Jauhar and Saka in Akbar's seize and also to Maharana Pratap. Aurangzeb faced defeat and hence Raj Singh married Hira Bai. However, Raj Singh like his forefathers answered with the sword as a triple alliance with Jaipur and Jodhpur against the Mughals. Mewar and Mughals were always age old enemies and that prompted Aurangzeb's actions. Raj Singh had given shelter to many Vrindavan priests and also was the lover of Hira Bai who was Aurangzeb's choice of a bride. These temples were built during the 11th century and witnessed the plunder of Aurangzeb who broke down the Shiva temple during the time of Maharana Raj Singh, Grandson to Maharana Amar Singh. She was queen mother to Rana Amar Singh as well.Ī few KMs from Bijolia is the temple complexes of Menal, or Mahanal also a part of Bhilwara and Bijolia. Folktales suggest that it is here that a 16 year old Kunwar Pratap fell in love with his first wife the 14 year old Ajabdeh Punwar and got married against his father's wishes in 1557. They proudly call their town " Maharana Pratap ka Sasural" and the Samant's daughter Ajabdeh Punwar, his first wife, as Rajkumarisa. Locals said there is the Bijolia Palace inside. Most of the fort wall is broken and blocked now, only a side entrance remains in to the old town where the houses and temples are equally old and the roads too narrow for cars.
#Maharana pratap 28th september 2015 driver#
The driver who is also a local villager explained that since Bijolia was Mewar's border and also within the attacking areas of the Afghans and Bhils, Rana Kumbha wanted to secure the town from inpending dangers and hence built a fort around the existing town. I was a little taken aback as I expected a ruined palace but this was a proper fort wall. Within a few minutes a broken yet magnificent fort wall welcomes you. Once you leave the rough terrains of Bundi and cross a range of the Aravallis in to the road leading to Chittrgarh, there is a 2km long tunnel through the Aravallis. The first thing I would like to mention is the road trip from Bundi to Bijolia. However, one doesn't need to stay in the town to explore it. A few hotels and guest houses are there and bus services from Udaipur and Bhilwara connect the town to the cities.
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There is no good place to stay in Bijolia. The Jain Temples that are made around the 14th and 15th century are an example of Mewar's rich architecture. The Bijolia Inscriptions are equally famous but sadly not a tourist site especially if you travel by bus or car. The Parmers served as Rao in Bijolia as a representative of the Mewar Royals. The Chauhan rule ended soon and Rana Kumbha brought Bijolia under Mewar's rule. In the 13th Century it went under the rule of the Chauhan dynasty who made a fort at Bhilwara and thus the capital of Bijolia shifted from Bijolia town to Bhilwara fort. For a start, it was ruled by the Punwars or Parmer Rajputs from the 11th to the 13th Century. Previously, a part of Mewar this small town has it's own history and tales.
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Bijolia is situated in the current Bhilwara district of the state of Rajasthan, 55KMs from Bundi town and 105KMs from Chittorgarh on the Bundi-Chittor Road.