Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Located in Rajasthan, this series of sites includes six magnificent forts at Chittorgarh, Gumbalgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jaipur and Jaisalmer. The forts vary in architectural style, some measuring up to 20 km in circumference, and bear witness to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Within the defensive walls were major urban centres, palaces, trade centres and other buildings, including temples, which often predated the fortifications, within which a sophisticated courtly culture that supported learning, music and the arts developed. Some of the urban centres within the fortifications have survived, as have many of the site’s temples and other sacred buildings. The forts took advantage of the natural defences offered by the terrain: hills, deserts, rivers and dense forests. They also had extensive water-harvesting structures, most of which are still in use today.