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| Haldighati Museum |
Hi All, how are you? Hope you are doing good. As I told you in my last post about my three days tour in Rajasthan. So, this post is about the second day in Udaipur (September 2018). My family was fully charged and all set to explore prolific history about the heroism of Ranas and Maharanas. Even every nook and corner of Rajasthan's streets says about it. We headed towards Haldighati, 40 km away from the main city Udaipur, to witness the saga of Maharana Pratap and his battle with Akbar Badshah. You all must have heard about Maharana Pratap's history; however, if you don't so let me clear your doubts.
- Maharana Pratap was the eldest son of Rana Udai Singh II and Maharani Jaiwanta Bai. He is and he will be known for his intrepidity during the Mughal invasion.
- For securing his kingdom from the wrath of Mughals, a catastrophic battle had been fought between Mewar kingdom and Mughal army in 1576. And this battle took place in Haldighati where turmeric sand screams the pain of bloody battle through its color till now.
- When the battle got finished rain had started falling and blood of martyrs got mixed with rainwater. Later on, this blood passed through the narrow path of Haldighati and collected in Rakt Talai (Lake of Blood). What an immortal legend I must say!
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| Haldighati |
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| Rakt Talai |
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| Inside Maharana Pratap Museum |
I became aware of this reality while we were on our way to reach Maharana Pratap Museum. Here, we got a chance to see a short movie about how this museum got established and a well-versed story about the life journey of Maharana Pratap. I also caught sight of Chittorgarh fort miniature which I will cover in the next blog post. After the movie completion, we strolled into this museum where we could see some statues that could move in sync with the audio explanations. This museum depicts the folklore about how Panna Dhai saved Rana Udai Singh II's life by sacrificing her son's (Chandan) life. People who are following me on Instagram can see the video in my saved story named 'PannaDhai'. When we got out of that museum, we were no more the same as we used to be. Now, we had understood the pain of Maharana Pratap's tragic life and his dedication towards his motherland. What I learnt from his life was no matter how the circumstances are, how life is treating you (fair or unfair), never lose hope and always fight back with full energy and great zeal.
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Chittorgarh Fort miniature inside the museum
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| Robotic mannequin depicting Panna Dhai's story |
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| Survivor Maharana Pratap after the battle of Haldighati |
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| Maharana Pratap making strategies to win over Mughal Army |
When we were about to reach the museum our driver told us about the 'Chetak Smarak' - memorial of Chetak horse. Chetak was the loyal horse of Maharana Pratap and he proved his loyalty when Maharana Pratap was seriously injured in the battlefield of Haldighati. Instead of having a deep wound on his leg, Chetak fled from the battleground with his unconscious master on his back and saved his life. He also crossed a water stream with his injured leg and it caused his sorrowful demise. To acknowledge Chetak's courageousness and loyalty, 'Chetak Smarak' was built by Maharana Pratap on the exact location where he passed away😢. This story had jolted my soul and made me realise how loyal these creatures are. A very pure soul who doesn't ask anything besides love and care. I couldn't miss the chance to see his memorial and I visited to pay homage in my way.
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| Injured Chetak Horse |
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| Chetak Smarak |
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| Stone Inscription about Chetak |
Before coming out of this place, I also caught some glimpse of one open type of museum where murals and sculptures were depicting varying stories. Some shops were also there and you could buy types of wooden stuff & pure rosewater. Don't say no to this purest form of rose water because you won't regret it. Overall, this museum can be considered as one of the best places to visit in Udaipur. My second-day journey in Udaipur ended with the emotional goodbye to Chetak. "Love you Chetak", your name has already been engraved in golden letters in Indian history💓.
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| Statues of Lohar community who helped Maharana Pratap |
How to reach Maharana Pratap Museum
Airport - Maharana Pratap Airport is the only airport in Udaipur which is 50 Km away from this Museum.
Railway Station - There is 146 km(almost 3 hours journey) distance between Udaipur Railway Station and Haldighati region of Udaipur.
Timing and Entry Fee of Maharana Pratap Museum
Timing - 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM (MON-SUN)
Entry Fee - 10 INR/Head (Adult), 5 INR/Head (Child)
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