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Kumar Singh, Rawal, thirty-sixth ruler of the Mewar Dynasty (r. 1179-1191); succeeded his father Rawal SAMANT SINGH; possibly ruled for twelve from DUNGARPUR (in exile), although he may have relocated to NAGDA, as his successor is shown as ruling there. Little is known of his reign. His son, MATHAN SINGH, succeeded him. See also MEWAR’S LOST GENERATIONS.
Kumari, (Hindi) a virgin, unviolated.
Kumbh Karan, Kunwar, second son of Rawal SAMAR SINGH (1273-1302); he migrated to Nepal where, in later time, his descendants became the Nepalese royal family.
Kumbh (Kumbha) Shyam, Temple of, on the eastern side of Chittorgarh; dedicated to Varah, the Boar incarnation of Vishnu; an idol of Varah is at the rear of the sanctum. This is actually a two-temple complex, the smaller being known as MIRA BAI’S TEMPLE. Maharana KUMBHA (1433-1468) erected this larger house of worship (1449) on a base laid in the 9th century AD. A large image of Garuda, the mythical bird, is in front of the temple, under a canopy supported by pillars. Featuring the Indo-Aryan style of temple architecture, it has a soaring Shikra, a mandap (porch or pillared hall) covered with a stepped, pyramid-shaped roof, and a pardakshina (colonnaded walkway) around the sanctum. There is a small pavilion at each of the four corners. The sanctum has beautiful idols depicting Lord Vishnu in different moods, and carvings of life in the 15th century. It is believed that, originally, this temple was a Vishnu Varah temple but was destroyed during Mughal attacks.
Kumbh Swami Temple, Chittorgarh; also known as Mahavir Swami Temple; near the KIRTI STAMBH, constructed in 1448 by Maharana Kumbha. It has no idol.
Kumbha, Maharana (b. ca 1427, Devgarh Madaria-d. 1468, Kumbhalgarh), forty-seventh ruler of the Mewar Dynasty (r. 1433-1468); at about the age of 6 he succeeded his father, Maharana MOKAL and ruled for thirty-five years from Chittor. (Devgarh, by the way, is a Choondawat town on the northeastern border of Mewar and Marwar; Madaria is the region in which Devgarh is situated.) The name of Kumbha (who was also known as Kumbhakaran, in this instance, ‘Karan’ is a suffix of affection given by poets to the name of Kumbha) is legend in Mewar, which, to some, reached the pinnacle of its glory during his reign. He is certainly one of the greatest warriors the kingdom has known, forging the warring Rajput clans into a powerful confederacy and triumphing over his enemies. He was a great sovereign, military commander, builder, athlete, musician, and scholar. He was substantially interested in the Arts. As a gifted writer, playwright, and literary critic he "wielded his pen as expertly as his sword". Under Maharana Kumbha’s patronage, the citadel of Chittor and its court became a flourishing centre for both performing and visual arts. A poet, he wrote verses for which he also composed the music, many of which are still sung. His mastery over music is evident from his two encyclopaedic books on music, Sangitaraja and Sangita Ratnakar. He also wrote plays, literary criticisms, a scholarly work, Ekling Mahatmya, and a commentary on the Geeta Govinda. He respected laureates and educationalists, and gave them high positions in his assembly. In yet another artistic vein, Kumbha was famous for his contribution to architecture, fortifying his empire with thirty-two of the eighty-four fortresses in Mewar. At Achalgarh, Mount Abu, then the gateway to Marwar and Gujarat, Kumbha commissioned his architect, Mandana to erect the strategic bastion in such a way that its walls could not be scaled. This fort was one of his favourites. The industrious Maharana took an ancient fort at KUMBHALGARH, high in the Aravallis 80 km. north of Udaipur, and strengthened its defences. He built seven of its gates and made several additions to the fort and turned it into a mighty fortress, second only to Chittorgarh in size and importance. Repeated assault attempts by the Sultan of Malwa made no dent on the fortress. Historian G.N. Sharma: "Kumbhalgarh was the highest monument of Kumbha’s military and constructive genius."
He also made a significant monetary contribution to assist the construction of a complex of exquisite Jain temples at RANAKPUR. In Chittor, he constructed the massive Kumbh Shyam Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, a temple to Krishna, and the temple and fountains of Kukkreshwar Mahadeo. The Sringar Chavri temple at Chittor was also built during his reign plus numerous palaces, inns and schools, and Kurma Sagar Lake. He embellished its tortuous route with seven solid arched gateways.
Kumbha's achievements on the battlefield were as conspicuous as they were in the field of art and building. He fought many small and large battles, conquering many outposts. Mahmud Khilji of Mandu in Malwa made six unsuccessful raids on Mewar. In 1437, Khilji combined forces with the sultan of Gujarat and together they marched on Chittor. Kumbha crossed his eastern border and routed the Muslims near Sarangpur on the plains of Malwa. From Sloka (inscription) no. 172 on a black marble tablet adorning the Tower of Victory, Chittor:
Shaking the earth, the lords of Gujarkhand (Gujarat) and Malwa, both the sultans, with armies overwhelming as the ocean, invaded Medpat (Mewar). Kumbhakaran (Maharana Kumbha) reflected lustre on the land; to what point can we exalt his renown? In the midst of the armies of his foe, Kumbha was a tiger, or as a flame in a dry forest.
Sultan Khilji managed to escape; he was chased, arrested and brought back to Chittor, where he remained captive for six months. Then, in a display of laisez faire and amazing generosity, Kumbha released his enemy, showering him with gifts as a reminder of his sojourn. Such was the character of Kumbha: "a mixture of arrogance, political blindness, pride and generosity." Some years later, Kumbha started to erect a soaring monument at Chittor, the VIJAY STAMBH (Tower of Victory), to commemorate his victory. There is a legend that claims Mahmud Khilji was so impressed by the tower that, when he returned to his capital at Mandu, he built a similar monument, claiming the outcome of the battle was indecisive and, despite his capture and imprisonment, had been the victor. (Another story tells that, although Kumbha’s tower still stands, Mahmud Khilji’s soon fell down.) Because of the time discrepancy, it is thought that Khilji had possibly been impressed by Chittor's KIRTI STAMBH (Tower of Fame), a 23-m. high, seven-storeyed Jain monument. This is on the eastern perimeter near Suraj Pol, and had been built in the 1300s.
In those days, communities of Charans were scattered throughout Mewar. They were bards, or poets, said to possess the power of clairvoyance. Considered sacred, they were respected and feared by all, from overawed Rajput chieftains to tribals. One day, a Charan, per medium of a Brahman astrologer, predicted Kumbha's death. The Maharana was so offended by this audacity, he banished all Charans from Mewar and resumed their lands. When Kumbha's heir apparent, Prince Raimal showed support for the Charans, the Maharana exiled his son to Idar for impertinence. The prince subsequently attached one of these bards to his entourage; the Charan was able to have the edict set aside, and his race was restored to their lands and the Maharana's favour. Unhappily, the prediction was too soon fulfilled: despite his greatness, Kumbha's life ended in tragedy. In 1468, while Raimal was still in exile, Maharana Kumbha was assassinated (aged 51) while praying in a temple at Kumbhalgarh … by his own son. The culprit was not Crown Prince Raimal anxious to mount the throne, but his younger brother, Udai (Uda) Singh who possessed a fervid ambition to rule (as elder brother Raimal was in exile, the time would have seemed right). Immediately following the deed, he usurped the throne. Because his crime was "the most heinous any mortal can commit", for a long time Udai's name was left blank in history books; he was known only by the nickname of ‘Hatyara, the Murderer’. His family disowned him and, for the five years of his illegitimate rule, he had to bribe outsiders for support, using Mewar's provinces as collateral. In that brief period he destroyed what had taken generations to achieve (see UDAI SINGH I, MAHARANA). It was a shameful end to a brilliant reign. From Sloka (inscription) no. 183 on the Tower of Victory at Chittor:
While the sun continues to warm the earth. So long may the fame of Kumbha Rana endure. While the icy mountains (Himalayas) of the north rest upon their base, or so long as Himachal is stationary, while ocean continues to form a garland around Avani (the Earth), so long may Kumbha's glory be perpetuated! May the varied history of his sway and the splendour of his domain last for ever!
(Himachal, mentioned above, is a tract of land in the foothills of the Himalayas, now known as the State of Himachal Pradesh.)
As we have seen, Maharana Khumba's legacy is that of a great builder, warrior, and practitioner of the Arts. As one chronicler put it: "He was the greatest king of North India." One of the annual MAHARANA MEWAR FOUNDATION AWARDS is named for Maharana Kumbha to honour works of permanent value to society through the medium of history and literature.
Kumbha’s Palace, Chittorgarh, opposite BANBIR-KI-DIWAR; the majestic ruins of a once-spacious and lofty palace, which was the largest dwelling in the fort. Originally BAPPA RAWAL built the palace after he established the Mewar Dynasty at Chittor (AD 734). Maharana KUMBHA (1433-1468) made significant additions and alterations, giving it his name. It features typical Rajput civil architecture. Underground cellars with vaulted ceilings were found in the 20th century, erroneously thought to have been the site where Rani PADMINI and thousands of the forts women and children committed JAUHAR during the first Sack of Chittor (1303). Legend has it that they entered the cellars, the doors were closed behind them, and they threw themselves on to large fires rather than to submit to the invading Muslim force of Delhi's Sultan ALA-UD-DIN KHILJI. This has since been discredited because so many could not fit into the cellars, nor would the fires have sufficient oxygen. It is thought all jauhars were committed in the open space called MAHASATI STHAL, a little south of the palace (‘sthal’ is the place where, traditionally, newly-made widows committed sati upon their late husband’s funeral pyre). With the coming of Islam, and the introduction of purdah (in which women could not be seen in public), Indian palaces were divided into two sections, one for the males, the other for the females, and the king was the only man who could visit the latter. Adjacent to the main palace are the women’s quarters where Rani Padmini resided (PADMINI’S PALACE to the south was her summer retreat). The mystic poetess, Princess MIRA BAI lived here, and it was also the nursery where the infant UDAI SINGH (I) was born and raised, and where the usurper BANBIR made an assassination attempt on the infant’s life, only to be thwarted by the heroine, the nurse PANNA DHAI. Places within the palace include Suraj Gokhra, Zanana Mahal, Kanwar Pada Palace, Diwan-i-am and a Shiva temple. Though the Tower of Victory is Chittor's trademark, Kumbha's Palace is a striking symbol of the ancient fort's glory.
Kumbha's Palace, Kumbhalgarh. See KUMBHALGARH.
Kumbhalgarh, (Fort of Kumbha, previously named Kumbhalmer, Hills of Kumbha); a famous and formidable fortress, the second largest in Rajasthan being slightly smaller in size than CHITTORGARH. It is 80 km. north of Udaipur, deep in the rugged Aravallis, almost on the border of Marwar. Maharana KUMBHA (1433-1468) built Kumbhalgarh in 1458 upon the ruins of an existing ancient fortress, which he had taken. Traditionally, the original edifice was ascribed to Samprati, a Jain Prince who constructed it in the second century AD. Legend has it that Samprati, a ruler of the MER community, offered himself as a sacrifice to strengthen its premises. Twelve centuries later, the industrious Maharana Kumbha made several additions, including an inner fort, Katargarh. This fort-within-a-fort (similar to Golconda just outside Hyderabad), which covers an area of 12 sq. km., encloses several palaces, temples, a garrison barracks, dwellings, reservoirs, a village, farms and fields, water courses and kitchen gardens, amenities essential to feed the Rajput army in cases of long siege. The huge fortress is perched on the topmost rocky peak of a mountain, 1,087 m. above sea level and 213 m. above the pass at its foot. Surrounded by thirteen lower peaks, it commands a sweeping view from the fort’s summit not only of the immediate countryside, but also east to the desert of what was the erstwhile kingdom of Marwar, home of the Rathore Rajputs. Strategically located on a pass bordering both kingdoms, it is one of the finest examples of protective fortification. For a start, the fort’s elevated position enabled the occupants to see any approaching aggressors from a distance. Then Kumbha strengthened its defences with a 36-km. long invincible wall, which ranges up and down the surrounding mountain slopes. It is the longest wall in India and is said to be second only to the Great Wall of China, and is so wide, eight horses abreast could gallop along it. It has seven large gates and seven ramparts, one folded within another, strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watchtowers which made scaling the walls by ladders virtually impossible. To bolster its defence system, flashlights were mirrored in the first gate, Arait Pol. These mirrors flashed coded messages by day; torches were used for sending coded messages at night. The second gate, Hulla Pol (Gate of Disturbance) received its name after the Mughal armies led by Emperor Akbar reached this far into the fort after concluding their sack of Chittor in 1568. The third gate, Hanuman Pol, 1.5 km. from Arait Pol, contains a shrine dedicated to the monkey-god Hanuman. It also houses an image which Maharana Kumbha is said to have brought back from Mandore in Marwar. Bhairav Pol, the fourth gate, records the name of an exiled prime minister during the 19th century. Paghra Pol (Stirrup Gate) was erected where the cavalry assembled before battle. Topkhana Pol (Cannon Gate) has a secret escape tunnel. The last gate, Nimbu Pol (Lemon Gate) has a temple dedicated to Chamunda Devi, a manifestation of the goddess DURGA. A shrine of the founding Mer ruler is located nearby.
Within Kumbhalgarh's protective walls are three hundred and sixty-five exquisitely carved temples and shrines, which during their heyday beckoned the devout to aarti (worship). Inside the inner fort's massive gateway, to the right and upon a ridge below the palace, stand temples dedicated to Neelkantha, constructed by Maharana Kumbha for his daily worship; nearby is the Kumbh Swami Temple. The Navachoki Mamadeva temple, also constructed by Kumbha, is situated in a gorge below the fort. It houses an image of Kuber (the God of Wealth) and contains several black marble slabs, the earliest of which dates back to AD 1491, inscribed with the history of Mewar. There are also two chhatris, one commemorating Maharana Kumbha, the other his grandson, the celebrated hero and adventurer PRITHVI RAJ, Maharana Raimal's first son. In 1536 young UDAI SINGH II, after being rescued by his nurse PANNA DHAI from assassination by BANBIR, spent his childhood in anonymity in the rooms close to Nimbu Pol until he returned to Chittor to claim his birthright. Kumbhalgarh was the birthplace of Udai Singh's heir, later the famous hero of HALDIGHATI, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I.
Kumbhalgarh’s inaccessibility during Mewar’s history was reinforced by its forbidding approach through deep ravines, thick scrub and jungles; the narrow approach to the fort is steep and rough. Repeated assault attempts by the Sultan of Malwa had little effect on the fortress. Historian G.N. Sharma: "Kumbhalgarh was the highest monument of Kumbha’s military and constructive genius." Notwithstanding, the mammoth fort did fall, but only once, to a combined force of the Mughals under Emperor AKBAR and the Rajas of Amber (Jaipur) and Marwar during the reign of Maharana Pratap. It was serving as the Maharana’s capital, his having renounced a life of luxury at Udaipur to fight the Mughal conquest of his kingdom. The enemy succeeded by contaminating the fort’s water supply, forcing the Mewar army to abandon Kumbhalgarh. In 1768, a pretender to the throne, Kunwar RATAN SINGH used the fort as his base in his bid to take the throne from Maharana ARI SINGH II. Kumbhalgarh was renovated in the late 1800s by Maharana FATEH SINGH who erected the exquisite Badal Mahal on the summit of the inner fort, Katargarh. Several years before the fort was consecrated, legend had already glorified a small reservoir, Nar-Chhali, near the fort. It was believed that a tiger ('nar') and goat ('chhali') drank water together here, a symbol of nirvana (heaven or utopia). Today, Kumbhalgarh remains one of the most stunning citadels in all Rajasthan. It is off the beaten tourist path, but nonetheless an essential must for all tourists who love to walk the paths of adventure, romance, and history amid the beauty of a rugged wilderness. The HRH Group’s AODHI HOTEL, conveniently situated nearby is an ideal place to stay for a memorable visit to this historic castle.
Kumbhalmer, the hill on which KUMBHALGARH is situated, and an earlier name for the fort.
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