Chaiturgarh

Chaiturgarh, also called Lafagarh, occupies a high hilltop north of Pali. Cliffs protect much of its plateau, making it a natural fortress; walls were needed only where the terrain left approaches exposed. Three gates, Menaka, Humkara and Simhadwar, give access to the stronghold. Within it stands a temple to Mahishasuramardini, the goddess who defeats the buffalo demon, and the hilltop also contains ponds.

Local tradition attributes construction of the fort to King Prithvideva I of the Kalachuri dynasty. Sculpture from the fort complex attests to worship there in later centuries: a stone image of Mahishasuramardini has been dated to the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The hill thus joined a defensible position with an enduring sacred place in the country ruled from Ratanpur.