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.
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.
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.
Kota Barrage : This is a part of the irrigation
canal system on Chambal river. The setting is beautiful ideal for a
stroll.
Duration wise | Destination wise