Forts of Rajasthan – 2

9. Jalore Fort, Jalore 

Jalore fort is believed to be built between the 8th to 10th centuries. It has four huge gates but is only reachable from one side, after a two-mile long snake slope. Built into the front wall are four mighty gates or pols that lead into the fort are The Suraj Pol, Dhruv Pol, Chand Pol and the Sire Pol. The Suraj Pol or the “Sun gate” is built so that the first rays of the morning sun enter through this gateway. It is an impressive gate with a small watch tower built over it. The Dhruv Pol is rather simple looking compared to Suraj Pol. This fort is also located on a steep hilly area and known for its ancient rich heritage. Under the Paramaras in the 10th century, It was one of the most famous and impressive forts  and is known throughout history as the Sonagir or the “golden mount”.  Jalore was conquered in 1311 by Ala ud din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi. Later Jalore fort was conquered by the Rathore of Ratlam and remained a part of Jodhpur State until it integrated to India. There is old Shiva temple, Kila Masjid (Fort Mosque), and Jain temples of Adinath, Mahavira, Parshvnath and Shantinath are also located here.

10. Khimsar Fort, Nagaur

Khimsar fort in Nagaur, Rajasthan is counted as one of the most beautiful forts of Rajasthan. Considered the oldest fort in Rajasthan, first built by the Nag Kings in the 2nd century AD That is why it is also named as Nagaur Fort. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb used to stay here. Once an independent kingdom, Khimsar is most famous for its Nagaur fort. It was constructed by Prince Rao Karamasji, the eighth son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Royal Dynasty of Khimsar, in 1523 with the intention of providing strong defense to the village from invaders. Khimsar Fort is located near Khimsar village, in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan in India, halfway between Jodhpur and Nagaur, on the eastern edge of the Thar Desert. Now this fort has been converted in to a heritage hotel.  Tourist can enjoy the sand dunes and the black buck sanctuary near the village.

11. Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur

Lohagarh fort, true to its name is defined as the fort of iron and it has survived numerous attacks by many invaders including British. It was constructed by Bharatpur Jat rulers. Maharaja Suraj Mal built numerous forts and palaces across his kingdom, one of them being the Lohagarh Fort, one of the strongest ever built in Indian history. The construction of the Lohagarh Fort was begun by Maharaja Suraj Mal in the year 1732, and the fort took 60 long years to complete. The unapproachable fortress easily withstood repeated attacks of the British forces that were led by Lord Lake in 1805. The fort was finally captured by Arthur Wellesley. The fort has some interesting areas inside the fort such as Mahal Khas, Kothi Khas, Moti Mahal and Kishori Mahal. At normal pace, it would take around 1-1.5 hrs. Ideal time to do the trek is start before or at dawn so that it isn’t sunny in your way up. The climb/descent becomes tougher as the sun comes up. Also, winter and monsoon is the best time to take the trek.

12. Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

Nahargarh Fort is one of the best for sightseeing in Jaipur, Rajasthan. One of the major forts located on a hill top of the mighty Aravalli Ranges, it attracts hordes of tourist to experience the grandeur and history of bygone era. The meaning of the name of this fort is the ‘ Home of the Tigers’ and the fort was built in the year 1734 by Raja Jai Singh. The fort was later reconstructed in the year 1868 to give it a huge size and the present architecture is the final example of it. Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the city of Jaipur. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh once formed a strong defence ring for the city. The fort was originally named YOGESH, but it became known as Nahargarh, which means ‘abode of tigers’. The popular belief is that Nahar here stands for Nahar Singh Bhomia, whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort. Nahar’s spirit was pacified by building a temple in his memory within the fort, which thus became known by his name. The fort was built as a retreat with Walls extended over the surrounding hills, forming fortifications that connected this fort to Jaigarh, the fort above the old capital of Amber. The fort never came under attack during the course of its history. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Europeans of the region, including the British Resident’s wife, were moved to Nahargarh fort by the king of Jaipur, Sawai Ram Singh, for their protection; who extended the fort in 1868. In 1883-92, a range of palaces was built at Nahargarh by Dirgh Patel. The Madhavendra Bhawan, built by Sawai Madho Singh still have some delicate frescoes. Nahargarh was also a hunting residence of the Maharajas. Until April 1944, the Jaipur State government used for its official purposes solar time read from the Samrat Yantra in the Jantar Mantar Observatory, with a gun fired from Nahargarh Fort as the time signal. Some scenes in the movies Rang De Basanti, Shuddh Desi Romance and Sonar Kella were shot at Nahargarh Fort.

13. Neemrana Fort, Alwar

Neemrana fort, Alwar was built by rajputs who call themselves the descendants of Lord Krishna or the Yaduvanshi lineage of Prithiviraj Chauhan. Built in 1464, one of the most popular resorts just about 100 kms from Delhi for weekend breaks and is ideal to invent your own past at the dream site of history. As the time passed on it actually became an architecture of wins and defeats and moved on to the Mughals from the Rajputs then, to the Jats, and then finally in the year 1775 it was conquered by the Rajputs. But at present this beautiful fort has been converted into a heritage 4-star hotel. Situated on the Aravalli hills the fort hotel allows tourists to witness some of the most astonishing sunsets. The best time to enjoy a stay in Neemrana fort is from July to March because of the ease of travelling during that time. The palace has 76 rooms and suits that offer a majestic getaway from the problems in life. There are some exotic locations that can be visited while a tourist stays in the majestic hotel and experience one of the best tourism by the Jaipur. Tourists can visit museum, Bala Qila, and the Sariska National Park in the forts vicinity.

14. Bhatner Fort, Hanumangarh

Bhatner Fort in Hanumangarh is one of the oldest forts in India and one of the most prestigious forts in Rajasthan. The specialty of this fort is that Mughal King Akbar mentioned this fort in Ain-e-Akbari. The fort was built by son of a king of Jaisalmer named Bhupat Singh. The fort is really strong and is known for the temples and huge gates and is located on the banks of river Ghaggar. Bhatner fort is located just 5 kms away from Hanumangarh railway station. One of the ancient forts of Rajasthan, first built in the year 295 AD; it is said that the fort was built by the King Bhupat when he was searching for a shelter in the town. He had lost a battle with the Sultan of Ghazni and wanted to find a safe shelter; instead, he built a shelter with bricks and named the fort as Bhatner Fort. King Bhupat was the son of King Bhati who was the ruler of Jaisalmer; therefore he named his fort after his father – King Bhati. The fort is built in the middle of a forest, was later reconstructed by one Sher Shah Suri in the 14th century. He strengthened the fort’s pillar and turned it into a fort with strong defense system. Even in the book of “Tuzuk-e-Timuri”, which is an Autobiography of Timur, Fort of Bhatner was considered as the strongest fort. This fort stands in the path of invasion of India from Central Asia and had acted as a strong barricade against the attack of enemies. Occupied by various rulers over the years, the last one to capture the fort was Soorat Singh, the ruler of Bikaner in 1805. Since he captured the fort on Tuesday and the day is considered as the Day of Lord Hanuman, the town was named as Hanumangarh.

15. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur is an ancient hill fort built by Rao Jodha in 1459 AD when he shifted his capital from Mandore to Jodhpur. Literally meaning ‘Fort of the Sun’, it is one of the largest forts in India and also among the top places to visit in Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort is an ancient hill fort built by Rao Jodha in 1459 AD when he shifted his capital from Mandore to Jodhpur. Literally meaning ‘Fort of the Sun’, it is one of the largest forts in India and also among the top places to visit in Jodhpur. The fort is treasure trove for its historical monuments, and also offers 360-degree view of Jodhpur. Enclosed by 120 feet high and 70 feet thick walls, the fort has several palaces which include Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, and Daulat Khana. Moti Mahal or Pearl Palace is one of the most prominent palaces of the fort that houses the royal throne of Jodhpur known as the Sringar Chowki. A large part of the Mehrangarh Fort has been converted into a heritage museum, which is one of the finest museums across the country.