When life feels heavy — go for a trip! ✨ Pack your bags and leave for that trip you’ve been planning for over a year, the one you talked about endlessly with friends but never managed to take because work took over your life or for any other reason. You deserve a break too. Don’t wait for the right moment. Make today right instead. As Instagram rightly says, there are places that will call you in your twenties, and it’s important that you answer.
I recently went on the trip I had been waiting for over a year, and it turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. I visited Chittorgarh, the land of warriors, drawn by its history and for my very own Naina moment.
The weather was sunny yet chilly at the same time, and it felt liberating to explore a city that carries some of the darkest, strongest chapters of history. I’ve always been a history enthusiast – I enjoy reading about and visiting places that hold historical significance. Chittorgarh was one such place I had long wanted to experience.
Most of us associate Chittorgarh with Maharana Pratap and Meera Bai, but the city has witnessed much more, countless brave warriors, multiple jauhars (where women chose fire over surrender), and centuries of resistance. It has seen the rise and fall of empires. Exploring it made history feel alive. It has the largest fort in India which is also a living fort, people still reside within its walls. This isn’t a place you can truly understand without a guide.
Planning the Day
Chittorgarh fort easily takes up an entire day. It’s around 110 km from Udaipur, and since I went with my friends, I had booked a cab for the journey; It took around 2 – 2.5 hours to reach. December is undoubtedly the best time to visit, Rajasthan is magical then. The air feels cleaner, the skies clearer, and at night you can see city lights and stars. Coming from Mumbai, that felt like a luxury in itself.
We left Udaipur around 12 PM and reached Chittorgarh by 2 PM. One thing to note – the fort doesn’t have many food options inside, so it’s best to have lunch and pee before entering (trust me on this). There’s a restaurant near the 7th entrance gate of the fort, just before the ticket counter, if you missed carrying something to eat. The ticket is around ₹90 for adults inclusive of car charges.
Hired a tour guide for about ₹850-1000 for three hours, which I’d highly recommend, plus these guides are locals who are much more aware about the place and surroundings. You’ll also need a car or bike to move around inside, this isn’t a fort you can explore properly on foot.
Inside the Fort
We roamed around until about 5:30 PM and then headed to the sunset point – the moment I had been waiting for. That was my Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani moment, and just like Naina said, the sunset was SOLID.
As the sun began to set, everything felt lighter. I wished time would slow down, just enough for me to soak in the ethereal beauty a little longer. Standing there amongst the broken past and a beautiful present made me think—this place has survived hundreds of wars, yet it still holds so much beauty and softness within it. It’s a reminder how resilience can coexist with grace.
If you plan to visit, try going on a weekday , weekends get extremely crowded, and the rush can take away from the experience. There are temples inside the fort as well, many of them damaged by the Mughals and by time itself, yet still powerful in their silence.
Night wonders
After the Naina moment, I thought why not experience the DHASU light and sound show Bunny had mentioned? It begins around 6:50 PM (only if there are at least 15 people). The show itself was decent, locals said it used to be better, but being inside a historic fort at night, in winter, with the temperature around 16°C, made the experience special.
Walking through the narrow roads and broken structures under the night sky, life felt meaningful and complete. It was one of those rare moments you want to carry with you forever, the kind where you realise you’re not rushing anywhere, and you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. In that moment, Chittor felt like home.
☘️☘️☘️
Leisure & Life 