Incredible India! Rajasthan, Ranthambore

 Ranthambor Fort : The history of Sawai  Madhopur revolves around the Ranthambore fort. Surrounded by Vindhyas and Aravalis, amidst vast and arid denuded tracts of Rajasthan,  the Great Ranthambore . No one knows when this fort was built. The strength and inaccessibility of the fort was a challenge to the ambitions of the rulers of the ancient and medieval India, particularly those of Delhi and Agra. The eminent ruler of the fort who ruled around 1296AD was Rao Hamir.  History relates that none of the rulers had a peaceful spell inspite of its strong geographical strength.

The Ranthambore fort, is said to have got its name from two adjoining hills - Rann and Thambore. It lies on the Thambore hill, overlooking the Rann and offers some breathtaking views of the National Sanctuary Park.

The fort of Ranthambore, is about 12 kms from Sawai Madhopur The walls of the fort are about 7 kilometers in length and include an area of nearly 4 square kilometers. All around the fort, one can see many old ruins, including palaces, temples, cenotaphs, step-wells and houses.The Ranthambore fort is surrounded by massive stonewalls which are strengthened by towers and bastions. The stone for the masonry was mined from inside the fort and the mines were later turned into ponds for water storage.

The main approach to the fort lies through a narrow valley, which had four fortified gateways. Of these, only the first gate - Misradhara gate, is still standing. There are many ruins inside the fort, Hammir's Court, Badal Mahal, Dhula Mahal and Phansi Ghar being the most prominent of them. The fort also has many cenotaphs, temples and gates.

Ranthambore Ganesh Temple: The Ganesh Temple, which lies very close to the main entry gate to the Fort, attracts a steady flow of pilgrims, mainly from the rural hinterland. During the annual Ganesh festival, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the temple, from all over the country and seek blessings from the Lord for happiness and prosperity. One interesting aspect is the mail that is sent to Lord Ganesha consisting mainly of wedding invitations. People send prayers, invitations and thanksgiving by way of postal mails. It is said that  in 1299 AD, there was a war between King Hamir and Alauddin Khilji. During the time of war they filled their godowns with food and all the necessary things in Ranthambhore Fort, where the king resided. Since the war lasted for several years, the stock in godowns was over. One night when King Hamir, who was a great devotee to God Ganesh, was sleeping, he dreamt that Lord Ganesh came to him and said that by next day morning all the problems and shortage would be over. In the morning an idol of Lord Ganesh with three eyes (Trinetra) appeared, embossed from one of the fort’s wall. Miraculously the war was over and the godowns were full. In 1300 AD King Hamir built a temple of Lord Ganesh and placed Riddhi Siddhi, his wife and two sons Shub Labh along with the idol of Ganesh. His vehicle mushak (mouse) is also placed there.

Ganesh Chaturthi Fair is the largest fair of Sawai Madhopur. It is organised on Bhadav Shukla   Chaturthi (Bhadrapad Sudi Chaturthi ) at Ganesh Temple , Ranthambhore Fort. This is very popular fair in Rajasthan. Every year 3-4 lacs devotees participate in this fair. This fair is organised for three days.  

HOW TO REACH
By Air: The nearest airport to Ranthambore is Jaipur sanganer airport (140 km from Ramthambore), which has daily flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi and Goa. It is also well connected with Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bangalore, Jaisalmer, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad and Calcutta.
By Train:The nearest railway station to Ranthambore is Sawai Madhopur, which falls on Delhi-Mumbai route and hence some of the major trains stop here on their way.
By Road:Ranthambore has bus services to and from Sawai Madhopur, which is well connected with all the major cities of Rajasthan, but they may not be very comfortable. Rajasthan tourism buses are little better but the best option is to hire a four-wheeler.

Thanks to all the different sources who have given information regarding Ramthambore in the internet!