Kota is usually associated with coaching centres, packed student hostels, and the intense academic pressure surrounding its education industry. But the city has another side that has now caught the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra. In a recent post on X, Mahindra shared photographs of the Chambal Riverfront and admitted that he had no idea such a place existed in Kota.
Anand Mahindra Stunned By Kota's Chambal Riverfront
My first reaction on seeing this was: AI. My second reaction, after checking: Good grief. It's real. This is the Chambal Riverfront in Kota. For most of us, the name Kota probably brings to mind its huge coaching industry. And, sadly, the controversies around the intense pressure on students there. But this is a side of Kota I had absolutely no idea existed. 2.75 km along both banks of the Chambal. Ghats, promenades, fountains and some fairly spectacular public spaces. And apparently I'm not the only one who hasn't discovered it. The riverfront is reportedly attracting only around 1,000 visitors a day. Why haven't we heard more about it? Credit to Shanti Dhariwal, then Rajasthan's Urban Development Minister, who drove the project, the Kota Urban Improvement Trust and architect Anoop Bartaria. Judging from these images, it certainly deserves to be better known. Kota just went on my Wanderer list. Anyone been there? Does the reality live up to the pictures? (Video & pic courtesy @ind_whitepill ) #SundayWanderer
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 4, 2026
Mahindra's reaction to the photographs was almost disbelief. "My first reaction on seeing this was: AI," he wrote. He then checked the pictures and realised the riverfront was very much real. "My second reaction, after checking: Good grief. It's real."
In awe of Kota's Chambal Riverfront, Anand Mahindra said that, for most people, the name Kota brings to mind its massive coaching industry and the controversies around the pressure on students. "But this is a side of Kota I had absolutely no idea existed," he wrote.
What caught his attention was the scale of the riverfront. It stretches 2.75 km along both banks of the Chambal River and has ghats, promenades, fountains and large public spaces. There was another detail that surprised him. Mahindra said the riverfront is reportedly attracting only around 1,000 visitors a day. "Why haven't we heard more about it?" he asked.
Also Read: 'They Didn't Hesitate,' Mom's Post About Indian Railways Staff Is Winning Hearts Online
He credited Shanti Dhariwal, who was Rajasthan's Urban Development Minister at the time, the Kota Urban Improvement Trust and architect Anoop Bartaria. Looking at the photographs, Mahindra said the riverfront deserved to be better known. "Kota just went on my Wanderer list," he wrote.
This Kota Attraction Is Overlooked
The Chambal Riverfront was developed along both banks of the Chambal in Kota, between Kota Barrage and Nayapura Pulia. It is not only a tourism project. Work was also carried out to address flooding and the drains flowing into the river.
The project has also created 27 ghats on both sides of the river. Grand Nandi Ghat has a large stone Nandi with a Nataraj statue behind it. Sahitya Ghat is dedicated to literature and creative writing, designed in the shape of a book and also works as an amphitheatre. Another feature is Nayapura Bawdi, a stepwell made from Bansi Paharpur stone. It has 932 steps and is 8 metres deep.
The riverfront also has promenades, fountains and large public spaces along its 2.75-km stretch.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
