Things To Do Bundi

Things To Do Bundi The city of Bundi is among the lesser known places in the very popular Indian state of Rajasthan. This is, however, only one of the reasons it is so appealing. For one, the city has a terrain unlike the other parts of the state. It is located at the heart of the Aravali Range and has a number of beautiful lakes and forests around it. For another, the city has some very unique buildings, blue tinted houses and step wells among other things. One may think that a small city like this may have limited options and yet it is surprising how the number of things you could do in Bundi are just too many. Read on to find out.

City Information - Bundi
Known as the blue city of eastern Rajasthan, Bundi is like nowhere else in Rajasthan. Every tourists dream place and a perfect desert idea, Bundi is popular for its rich historical and architectural wonders. The city is located in the south-eastern region of the Aravalli Hills on a narrow valley and it is nestled as a small oasis.
Attractions like mansions, forts, paintings, step wells, and palaces make the town a favorite among tourists from all over the world. The silhouette of the city is so picturesque and outstanding that it has crawled not just into the tourist's dream destination checklists, but it has also cemented its place amidst several famous literature work and films like Kim by Rudyard Kipling, False Fort by Rabindranath Tagore and Sonar Kella by Satyajit Ray.
Bundi is a captivating town well ornamented with Aravalli ranges surrounding the chain of Brahmin-blue houses, lakes, hills, local markets and temples at every nook and corner of the town. However, the landscapes are mainly dominated by forts among which the Taragarh Fort is the most magnificent along with the Bundi Fort that stands closely tucked to the former. The cityscape from Bundi Fort gets merged with the meadows of purple hills which dip into the distant Jait-Sagar Lake.

Top highlights - of Bundi
Festivals and celebrations are done with great show and pomp by the local residents, especially to preserve their culture and traditions. Kajali Teej and Gangaur Festival are among the major celebrations in the town.
Bundi Paintings are a famous style of Rajasthani paintings that flourished in the 17th century. The paintings are seen everywhere in the town starting from miniatures to 46 m long steep walls, fascinating every tourists.
There is an 84-pillar cenotaph named Chaurasi-Khambon-ki-Chhatri, which is among the rarest contributions of royal families and was built in 1683.

What makes Bundi famous ?
Bundi is a unique town which encloses so much greenery, lakes, surrounding hills, scattered edifices, majestic forts, and temples that it is hard to believe that the fiery desert is right next door. The small but prominent city is like an undiscovered green emerald on the fold of Aravalli hills which is well-maintained and one of the cleanest towns of the state.

History of Bundi
Bundi used to be the capital of the Rajputs, and it was partially occupied by the Mina and Bhil tribes. It was also known as "Bunda-Ka-Nal" where nal means narrow passage between the rugged hills. The town was captured by Prince Jait Singh in 1264 and was taken over by Jaita Meena in 1342. It came under the influence of the Mughals from 16th century onwards and was ultimately incorporated into Rajasthan in 1947.

Taragarh Fort
This 14th-century fortress’ name means the Starry Citadel, and this is a perfect place to do some stargazing on a clear night. The fort houses the Garb Gunjam cannon which rather curiously means The Thunder from the Womb. Although crumbling in places, the fort is worth the steep climb for its palaces, murals and views over Bundi. Watch out for the monkeys.

Bundi Palace (Garh Palace)
Just below the Taragarh Fort stands Bundi Palace. The majestic Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate) greets you with its massive pillars, before heading inside to the Badal Mahal, Chhatra Mahal and Phool Mahal, each of which houses treasure troves of paintings. However, the palace’s biggest attraction is its group of turquoise and gold murals depicting historical battles and royal processions.
The neighbouring Chitrashala Palace houses paintings commissioned by Rao Ummed Singh. Look for the images of Krishna, particularly the one of him playing the flute in the trees.

Sukh Mahal
Built along the banks of the Jait Sagar Lake in the 18th century during the reign of Ummed Singh, the Sukh Mahal was home to Kipling and inspired him to write Kim. Meaning the palace of bliss, the Sukh Mahal is home to Mughal art and statues, a marble cenotaph and gardens.

Chaurasi Khambon Ki Chhatri
Built in the 17th century by Rao Raja Anirudh for his foster brother Deva as a dome-shaped memorial, this cenotaph is famous for its 84 pillars (although legend says you can’t count them all). The cenotaph has several ornate sculptures and a linga (a form of Shiva) built in the centre.

Raniji Ki Baori
Stepwells are an architectural feature of Rajasthan and Gujarat. With water being a scarcity, stepwells were designed not only as sources of drinking water, but also places to bathe, pray and relax. Often sculpted as temples with gates, arches and pillars, there are about 50 stepwells in Bundi, but most of them are in ruins. The Raniji Ki Baori is the best known, built in the 17th century by Queen Nathavati, wife of Rao Raja Anirudh Singh. It is 46m (150ft) deep and each level has carvings of deities.

Chitrashala
Bundi is known for its miniature paintings and murals and there is a story behind them. In the 16th century when the Hadoti kings broke away from Mewar and befriended the Mughals, Emperor Akbar of the Mughals sent three artists from Chunar near Varanasi as “gifts” to the royal court. The artists shifted their canvas from palm leaf manuscripts to walls. Armed with a thin brush that had a single hair, they created the minute details of Bundi art that mixes Rajput and Mughal influences.