Hin: चित्तौड़गढ़ c(h)ittōṛagaṛh
‘Chitranga’s Fort’ [Chitrakuta] – City/District, Rajasthan
From Chitrangada and Hin/Skt: gaṛh, kuṭa/koṭa, ‘fort’.
Chitrangada, a Mauryan ruler, founded Chittorgarh in the 3rdC, although mythology connects the fort to the mighty Bhima, the second son of Pandu in the Mahabharata. The fort, positioned on a 180m hill covering 2.8 sq. km, is the largest in India. The Mewar/Udaipur Kingdom captured it in the 7thC.
There were many bitter conflicts with Muslim invaders including three sieges: in 1303 against the Delhi Sultanate; in 1535 against Bahadur Shah; and finally, in 1567, when Emperor Akbar it captured it. It remained in Mughal hands until the arrival of the British.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Rajasthan place names.
Chittorgarh Fort: Gaumukh Reservoir Ritukejai
