Nahargarh Fort or ‘abode of tigers’ is the 3rd majestic fort near Jaipur, Rajasthan alongside Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort. Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort, and Nahargarh Fort formed a strong defensive ring overlooking the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Originally named Sudershangarh, its name was changed to Nahargarh reportedly as a means to appease the ghost of Prince Nahar Singh Bhomia, whose spirit reportedly haunted the place and created obstacles in the fort construction. Additionally, to appease Nahar’s spirit a temple was also built inside the fort.
The fort construction was started in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II on a hill of Aravalli Mountain Range, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. The buildings inside the fort have been built in the Indo-European architectural style. The fort was initially built as a hunting retreat for the royals. Fort walls were extended over surrounding hills, connecting it to Jaigarh Fort. Though Nahargarh Fort was never attacked, it has been a witness to several historic events.
The treaty with the Maratha confederacy forces and the Kingdom of Jaipur was signed here in the 18th century. During India’s 1st War of independence in 1857, many Europeans including the British Resident’s wife were moved to Nahargarh fort by the then King of Jaipur, Sawai Ram Singh for safety reasons. The fort’s left side is called ‘Tadigate’, it has an entrance gate with a temple next to it, dedicated to the presiding deity or Kul Devi of the Jaipur royal family.
Sawai Ram Singh further extended the fort in 1868. In 1883-92, a few palaces were built at Nahargarh Fort under architect Dirgh Patel. The biggest one of them Madhavendra Bhawan, commissioned by Sawai Madho Singh has identical suites for his 12 queens and a suit for himself. All suites are linked to each other by corridors adorned with delicate frescoes. It is said that all the 12 suites for the 12 queens were built in such a manner and linked to the King’s suite; that when the king used to visit one of the queens, the others 11 queens could not know about it.
Another important building inside the fort is Diwan-I-Aam, where the Kings of Jaipur met common people to hear their grievances. The frescos depict everything from elephants, and horses, to nature. There are also, Victorian floral paintings in the fort that bears testament to fine craftsmanship and give a glimpse of life and times of an era gone by.
Today Madhavendra Palace at Nahargarh Fort is the site of a stunning Sculptor Park. Renowned curator Peter Nagy has adorned the park with exquisite sculptures. The sculpture park is a joint project between the Government of Rajasthan and NGO Saath Shaath Arts. The park was opened to the public in December 2017, allowing contemporary artists a place to showcase their work. Currently, the sculpture park houses 53 artworks by 24 top artists both from Indian and abroad.
The larger sculptures are placed in the royal courtyard. The sculptures inside the palace are smaller yet beautiful. The Sculpture Park holds an annual exhibition, by which artwork is replaced every year. There is a huge water tank built inside the fort that channels water down from the hill into the tank for storage. Up until April 1944, the Jaipur State government used to mark its time from the Samrat Yantra located at Jantar Mantar Observatory, and every hour a gun was fired from Nahargarh Fort to signal the time.
The fort has been a shooting location for several Bollywood films like Rang De Basanti, Shuddh Desi Romance and Sonar Kella. One of the biggest tourist attractions of Jaipur, Nahargarh fort is open from 10:00 AM in the morning to 17.30 PM in the evening on all days. Entry tickets to Nahargarh fort is INR 50 for Indians and INR 200 for foreigners. Students can get entry at discounted prices.
Entry ticket for Indian students is INR 25 and for foreign students is INR 50. The visitors are not advised to stay in the fort after dark as the fort is surrounded by dense forests that is part of Nahargarh Biological Park, and wild animals are known to roam around in the fort at night. It takes around 2 – 3 hours to explore the entire fort with help of guides with separate charges. The best time to visit the Nahargarh fort is in the winter season from October to March when the weather remains cool and a breeze blows around.
Tourists can also visit the Nahargarh Biological Park, also sometimes called Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary. Located next to the Nahargarh Fort, this biological park spread across an area of 7.2 sq. km of Nahargarh Sanctuary, is adorned with fine granite and quartzite rocks.
Several animals can be seen in their natural surroundings here, including the Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, and Indian leopard; as well as 285 species of birds, making it a birdwatcher’s delight. Tourists can reach Nahargarh Fort from anywhere in Jaipur, by hiring a private car, taxi, autorickshaw, or bus. Jaipur is well connected by road, rail, and air with all major cities of India.
