Bundi

Introduction:
Identified as the ‘queen of Hadoti region’ in Rajasthan, Bundi is named after Meena ruler ‘Bunda Meena’. Located in the south-eastern part of Rajasthan, bounded in the north by Tonk, in the west by Bhilwara and on the south-west by Chittorgarh districts. The river Chambal forms the southern and eastern boundaries separating the Bundi and Kota territories. The southern tehsils of Bundi forms a wedge between Bhilwara and Kota and also touches Chittorgarh district. It is an oasis in the desert state, a serene civilization far from the madding crowd & a well known tourist's destination. Every year thousands of tourists from India and abroad visit Bundi.

Located at 25.44° N latitude and 75.64°E longitude, Bundi is located 268 meters above sea-level. Besides its architectural forts and palaces, the major attraction of Bundi is traditional water reserves, known as Baori in traditional language.

History:
The history reveals that the area of Bundi was mainly under the control of local tribes. Mainly the Meena tribes dominated the aera, and on the name of their ruler ‘Bunda Meena’ the name of Bundi came into practice. In the 12th century the Rajputs of chauhan clan captured the area and after that their survivors strengthened themselves by expanding their power and making Bundi as the center of their control.

The history of Bundi is incomplete without the mention of the rajputs of Hada clan. The reason of recognizing them as Hada Rajput was that they belonged from the Hadoti region of Rajasthan. These Hada rajputs were basically an offshoot of the Chauhan clan of Rajputs. After 12th century these Hada rajputs took over the control of Bundi in1241 A.D. They expanded their control over Kota in 1264 A.D. In later years the time came where these Hada rajputs had wastened their control beyond boundaries of Bundi, to Kota, Jhalawar, and Baran.

However, the coming years witnessed the decline of Bundi rule on these districts and as a result of this in 1579 Kota again gained its existence as a separate state. With the passing time the power of Bundi on the other states also got weaker and in 1838, Jhalawar also got its status of separate state. It is important to mention the survival Bundi as a separate state was possible under British control, that also to nominal extent. After Independence in 1947, Bundi became as one of the separate district of Rajasthan with its formation.

Tourist Destinations:

The major tourist destination of Bundi district have their own fascination and attraction. The major places are:

The Taragarh Fort: Often known as ‘Star Fort’ is the mere historical attraction of Bundi. Located on the toppest hill of city the fort was constructed in 1354 A.D. The major attraction of fort lies at bastion also known as ‘Bhim Burj’ where the largest cannon known as ‘Garbh Gunjam’ or ‘Thunder from the Womb’ is placed. The fort has three huge water tanks, which are unique illustration of the technique by which they were built in. Ofcourse the technique of constructing such tanks exits no more with the passing time, but it sets an example in front of modern engineers and architectures about the intelligence of ancient engineers.

The Bundi Palace: Located in parallel direction to Taragarh Fort, the Bundi palacethe notable feature of the palace is its picture gallery also known as ‘ Chitrashalla’ which is open for visitors.

Raniji ki Baori: The traditional water reservoirs known as 'Baori', i.e. the place where water is collected. Raniji ki Baori was constructed by Rani Nathavatji in 1699. The baori has deep stairs that make water reachable even when the level of water is low.

Nawal Sagar: Nawal sagar is a square shaped lake built in the center of the city. The lake has temple of Lord Varuna, also known as God of water, constructed in the middle of the lake. The lake supplies water to number of Bavdis in the city.

The Dhabai Kund: Recognized as Jail Kund is one of the largest kund of the city. Kund generally is also a kind of water reservoirs of ancient period. The carving built on the steps of kund are worth visting

Chaurasi Khambon ki Chhatri: Also called as  84-Pillared Cenotaph is a chhatri memorial built in 1740 by Maharaja of Bundi Rao Raja Anirudh in memory of his foster brother Deva. The cenotaph with 84 pillars represent the architecture of Rajasthan. In simple words, Chattri is a kind of place constructed in the shape of Umbrella.

Facts & Figures

Area	5,550sq. kms.
Temperature	Max.: 42.6 °C, Min.: 29.7 °C
Annual Rainfall	76.41 cm
No. of Sub-Division	2
No. of Tehsils	4
Population	9, 61,269
Population Density	173 per sq. km
Literacy Rate	55.80%
STD Code	0747

Connectivity

By Air: The nearest airport is Jaipur, 202 kms away from Bundi.

By Rail: The nearest railway station to Bundi city is Bundi road. The two rail routes passing through the district are Delhi-Bombay and Kota-Chittorgarh route on broad gauge.

By Road: The National Highway No.12 (Jaipur-Jabalpur) passes through Hindoli tehsil in the north and Bundi tehsil in the south. Regular bus service is available for internal transport.

For more information about Bundi district Click here