Chittorgarh fort in Southern Rajasthan stands on a 280-hectare site on top a 180-metre-high hill in the midst of a plain. It was sacked  in 1303 by Ala-ud-din Khilji , the Pathan ruling at Delhi, who laid siege upon the fort for the sake of Padmini, a beauty from Ceylon,  wife of Bhim Singh and so, aunt of the ruling king. The brave and idealistic Rajputs would rather die than give up Padmini , and when defeat became a foregone conclusion, Padmini with all the other Rajput ladies in Chittorgarh, immolated themselves in a cave within the fort precincts. Her husband led the handful of remaining men to a glorious death at the hands of the Pathans. Chittorgarh is inseparable from Padmini's story and has inspired poets and novelists throughout the times. In 1535 and 1568 too, Chittor was besieged and ransacked , by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, and Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, respectively. The Rajput ladies committed jauhar or sati (self-immolation) on both occasions, and Rajput men laid down their lives rather than surrender. In ruins, the fort retains its grandeur , with its chhatris or memorials marking the spots where its warriors had fallen in battle, Ram Pol and Suraj Pol gates, its Rana Kumbha Palace( with elephant and horse stables    and a Shiva temple), Padmini Palace(beside a pool with a centre-pavilion), Jaya-sthambha(Victory Tower, constructed between 1458 and 1468 to mark the victory over Mahmud Khilji of Malwa in 1440), a deep tank, a deer park and a general atmosphere of romance, chivalry, and pathos.