Amma, Take Me to the Hill Forts of Rajasthan by Bhakti Mathur(Author) and Priyankar Gupta(Illustrator)
My take on the book:
Amma, Take Me to The Hill Forts of Rajasthan is the latest book in the Amma, Take Me series where Amma takes her two sons Shiv and Veer to the forts of Rajasthan. They start their journey with the majestic Chittorgarh fort as Amma starts explaining about all the Kings who once ruled this fort — starting from Bappa Rawal, Uday Singh II, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Rawal Ratan Singh.
Amma also explains about the significance of the multiple entrances to the fort named after a residing deity; the temples that have been constructed by the ruling Kings and how they thrived; how the lakes and water bodies were planned to survive all its residents for years. Chittorgarh history is incomplete without the story of Rani Padmini and Mirabai, which are also narrated by Amma to Shiv and Veer. Amma also narrates the various wars that have been waged to gain the reign of Chittorgarh fort.
Next they explore the Kumbhalgarh fort, its entrances similar to those of Chittorgarh and learn about Maharana Pratap while visiting Neelkanth Mahadev temple. The last fort they explore is the Amer fort — here also Amma and her kids visit the temples and lakes, while reminiscing about the wars and rulers. The Sheesh Mahal is the standout in the Amer fort. In addition to information about the forts, the author provides a brief history of the origin of the Rajputs, and a timeline of the key historical events covered in the book.
The narration of the history of these forts by the author is supported by beautiful illustrations that transport the reader to a different era, when Kings waged wars throughout their lives to protect their Kingdoms. The Rajput valor, the sacrifices, the ever changing dynamics are absolutely thrilling to read about.
The construction of these forts hundreds of years ago which stood the test of time makes the readers marvel at their architectural brilliance. How the queen’s quarters are especially designed to stay cool in the scorching Rajasthan summers is a lesson for modern city planners.
The author also takes care to compile history spanning centuries into a concise form which is easy to read and understand for young kids. By the end of the book, every reader would want to go and explore these historic forts themselves. Highly recommended!
My rating:
5/5.