In this article you will know about Haldighati Museum Udaipur.
A 40km journey from Udaipur will lead to the patriotic land of Haldighati, where the epic battle between the Rajput Hero Maharana Pratap and Mughal Emperor Akbar was fought. This land sings the heroic tales of how Maharana Pratap tried to save his kingdom from Mughal invasion; and the turmeric sand holds several screams of the bloody battle that is reflected in its color.
Battle of Haldighati
- In 1576, the battle of Haldighati was fought between Mughal Army and Mewar Kingdom.
- The Mughal army outnumbered the Mewar soldiers, yet Maharana Pratap didn’t quit and fought fearlessly for his Kingdom.
- Maharana Pratap was asked to surrender but he didn’t accept slavery and decided to keep his head-high and fight.
- The incharge of the Mughal army for the battle was Amer’s Maan Singh I.
- It is also believed that Maan Singh invited Maharana Pratap on the banks of Udai Sagar for a peace meet. In which he asked Maharana Pratap to surrender, but the Rajuptana Hero was in no mood of surrendering his kingdom to a Mughal Emperor, as he considered Akbar as an invader.
- Halighati is basically a narrow path, amidst the Aravalli Hills; the Mughal army marched from Haldighati to attack Mewar Kingdom. The Mewar army wanted to have the battle in an open field, hence they made the Mughal army move to an open area, which was later filled with blood because of the bloody battle and then the battlefield was named Rakt Talai (Lake of Blood).
The turmeric-coloured soil of the pass
- There was a point of time, when Maharana Pratap was seriously injured, that was the time when two heroes came to rescue.
- One of the Hero’s was Mana Jhala, who dressed up like Maharana Pratap, to give the Mughals an illusion of Maharana Pratap present in the field. Unfortunately, Mana Jhala lost his life on the same day.
- The other hero was, Maharana Pratap’s loyal horse: Chetak. Chetak knew that his master had to be taken to a safe place because he was seriously injured. Chetak fled from the battle ground with his unconscious master on his back.
- It is also said that Chetak was himself injured in the battle, and suffered from a deep wound in one of his legs; still he didn’t care about his pain.
- In order to take his master to a safe place, he crossed a water stream with his leg injury, and that lead to his sorrowful demise.
- Maharana Pratap built Chetak Memorial on the same location where he passed away to salute the courageousness and loyalty of his dear Chetak.
- It is said, none of them won the battle of Haldighati, and Maharana Pratap had to live in forest with his army and family and had to consume grass chapattis for several days.
- Also his entire life he fought against Mughal emperor Akbar.
Haldighati Museum Udaipur
- One has to move 2 kms from the Chetak Samadhi to reach the Haldi Ghati Museum.
- It is a private museum that displays various Haldi Ghati scenes in form of portraits, paintings, miniatures, statues etc.
- Also metal weapons including swords, shields, knives, double-edged swords and heavy metal armor are showcased in the museum.
- There are various bronze statues that depict some scenes of the battle, including Chetak’s attack on Man Singh’s elephant, Maharana Pratap leading the army with a bheel standing next to him and a lot more, Maharana Pratap and his army consuming grass chapattis, etc.
Haldighati Museum Timings
8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Haldighati Museum Entry Fees
20 rupees per person
Major Places to Visit Near Haldighati Museum
- Badshahi Bagh: Badshahi Bagh is a site near the Haldighati, where the Mughal Army rested in their tents. This area stands 2kms before Haldighati Pass. This bagh is renowned for cultivation of Chaitri Roses, which is used in Ayurveda treatment.
- Chetak Samadhi: A tribute to the loyal horse of Maharana Pratap named Chetak, who sacrificed his life in order to save his master from the enemies. There is also a temple near the memorial that can be visited.
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