Ranthambore Fort

Ranthambore Fort is a hilltop fortress on a high rocky outcrop inside Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, with origins going back to around the 10th century. Ranthambore Fort changed hands many times between Rajput rulers and the sultans of Delhi, and in 2013 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

The fort is most closely tied to Hammir Dev, the last Chauhan ruler of Ranthambore, who held out against a long siege by Alauddin Khalji of Delhi in 1301 before the fort fell and the women inside committed jauhar. Later Ranthambore Fort passed to the Mughals and finally to the rulers of Jaipur, who used the surrounding forest as a hunting reserve. The Trinetra Ganesh temple inside is one of the busiest Ganesh shrines in Rajasthan, and families still post wedding invitations to the god.

What to see

• The Trinetra Ganesh temple, where Ganesh is shown with three eyes
• Hammir's palace, the Badal Mahal and the 32-pillared Battis Khambha chhatri
• Step tanks and small Jain and Hindu temples within the walls
• The view from the ramparts over Padam Talao and the forest
• Langur monkeys along the long climb up

What to wear

Ranthambore Fort has a working temple, so cover shoulders and knees, and remove shoes and leather belts at the Trinetra Ganesh shrine. The climb is long and uneven, so wear good shoes, and bring water and a hat. Pilgrims arrive in their best clothes, men in bright safa turbans and dhoti, women in ghagra-choli and odhni, especially around Ganesh Chaturthi.

Local food to try

There are chai and snack stalls near the fort gate, and prasad sweets are sold for the temple, usually laddoos. For meals, Sawai Madhopur's lodges serve Rajasthani thalis with dal baati churma and ker sangri, and the town is known for its winter guavas. Food near the temple is strictly vegetarian.

Good to know

• Best from October to March; go early to avoid the midday climb
• Open daily, morning to evening
• Small entry fee at the gate; no safari permit needed
• Allow two hours
• About 12 km from Sawai Madhopur through the park's main gate
• Keep food out of sight of the monkeys; wild animals can be on the road

Nearby places

Ranthambore Fort sits inside Ranthambore National Park, so it pairs easily with a safari. Chand Baori is about 150 km north on the road to Jaipur, where Amber Fort is another of the six UNESCO hill forts.