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Kota:
It is a fascinating mixture of medieval grandeur and modern
industrialization. An impressive fort stands like a sentinel
over the present day Chambal Valley project with its many dams-
Kota Barrage, Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar and Jawahar Sagar,
While an old palace, dating back to the time when Kota was part
of the Hada Rajput fiefdom- Harawati of Hadoti-overlooks the
Kota Barrage on the turbulent Chambal river.
The Hada chieftain, Rao Deva conquered the territory in the 14th
century and founded Bundi and Hadoti, Later, during the reign of
Mugal Emperor Jahangir, at the beginning of the 17th century,
Rao Ratan Singh, the ruler of Bundi, gave his son, Madho Singh
the smaller principality of Kota. In course of time Kota came to
be regarded as a hallmark of Rajput power and culture.
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Durbar Hall had mirror work, ebony and ivory inlaid doors, and contains a wealth of Rajput miniatures of the Kota School. There are the royal cenotaphs, a
haveli (stately home) with delicate frescoes, the raj Bhawan Palace and an
island palace- the Jag Mandir – gracious remainders of a bygone age.
However, modern Kota is all hustle and bustle as befits a town which
boasts of Asia’s largest fertilizer plant, a precision
instrument unit, and an Atomic Power Station for power
generation and nuclear research among other things. |
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Maharao Madho Singh Museum
: Situated in the old palaces, it houses a rich collection
of Rajput miniature paintings of the Kota school, exquisite
sculptures, frescoes, arms and other valuable antiques. The
museum is a veritable treasure house of artistic items used by
the rulers of Kota. |