36 km from Kota is
a tiny Picturesque town, Bundi. One of the unexplored
cities with a rich historical wealth. Once a part of
Kota, it was ruled by the Had Chauhans- an offshoots of
the famous Chauhan clan who ruled Delhi and Ajmer.
In 1193 A.D. when
Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Sultan Mohammed
Ghauri, some Chauhan nobles seeked shelter in Mewar and
became allies to the Rana while other young warriors
move towards the Chambal valley and overpowered the
Meena and Bhil tribals-thus establishing their own
kingdom of Hadoti. Later, two branches of Hadas formed
two separates states of Kota and Bundi, on either side
of the river Chambal.
Bundi is surrounded by the Aravalli hills on the three
sides and is circumscribed by a massive wall with four
gateways.
Interesting monuments including impressive medieval
forts, palaces, havelis, temples with beautiful stone
idols and chattris with carved pillars, along with a
picturesque lake in the heart of the town, add to its
charm. Bundi is very famous for its intricate carvings
and murals.
Bundi continues to
be a place where life is largely untouched by the
outside world. In fact, even today, Bundi is one place
in Rajasthan that has a delightfully medieval
flavour - we felt as if we had stepped into
some kind of a time warp!
The town nestles
at the foot of a large rocky hills, dominated by
Taragarh Fort and Garh Palace,
lavishly decorated with the finest murals in the
history of Rajput Art. Painted in the Hara
style of the Kota-Bundi school of miniatures in
characteristic shades of blue, green and maroon, they
reflect the verdant greenery of the region. An art
connoisseur can spend days in Bundi for these paintings
alone.
Bundi is a town of
numerous ornate baoris(step-wells) dating back to
the 17th century. Raniji ki Baori with
its exquisite toran archway is one of the
loveliest