Gagaron Fort of Rajasthan also listed by UNESCO

In India, there are many forts and temples present all over the country. They have many historical roots which connect Indians to their ancestors and with the history of their birth place. In many states there are many large forts which were constructed by the kings earlier to get protected from enemies and fight from them.

Gagron Fort, Jhalawar in Rajasthan

Gagron Fort (Image by William Warren on Flickr)

Forts are the specialty of Rajasthan and it is very famous for this worldwide. A majority of forts of India is situated in Rajasthan. Among many forts, the fort of Gagaron is very famous. The beautiful fort of Gagaron is a very good epitome of a fort surrounded by water and thus is popularly known as “Water Fort” and “Jal Durg” in Hindi. This fort is among the famous 9 forts which have been mentioned in the mythological books of India.  This fort was started to build in the 7th century and was completed in the 14th century. A Dargah of sufi saint ‘Mittheshah’ is situated outside the fort where Moharram is celebrated and a fair is organized every year.   Gagaron fort has the name of one another famous saint associated with it. He is Saint Pipa Ji who was “Guru Ramanand’s” follower. He was among the main disciples as well as the contemporary of Kabir Saint too.

Dargah of Sufi Saint Mitteshah, Jhalawar in Rajasthan (Image by Pavan Gupta on Flickr)

This fort of Garagon has recently been recognized internationally as the World Heritage Site with other five forts of Rajasthan by UNESCO. These forts are unique in the fact that they are surrounded by defending natural landscapes like forests, water bodies, etc.

Location and surroundings of the fort

Gagaron fort is one of the famous forts of Rajasthan in the city of Jhalawar and is 12 kms away from the Jhalawar. The 2 water bodies namely the river Kali Sindh and the river Ahu surrounds Gagaron from its three sides.  The fourth side of this fort was a deep ditch for protection against the enemies but is not present today.  Apart from its rivers this fort has also a dense forest situated behind it. It has the known hill range of “Mukundarrah” due to which this fort is also known as forest fort or ‘vana durg’.  The presence of forests and water bodies made the fort very protected.

Bridge of Gagron Fort

Image by William Warren on Flickr

Image by William Warren on Flickr

Historical Significance

Gagaron fort was built under the rule of the king “Achaldas Khinchi” who got this fort built to protect its army and citizens from the Malwa ruler “Hoshang Shah”. He was the Mandu ruler and proved to be stronger over Raja Khinchi. The king sensing the defeat, with his army and all other Rajputs rushed to fight against the ruler Hoshang but ultimately faced death fighting and protecting their region. The queens and the ladies opted for Johar which was a historical practice done by ladies to surrender themselves to fire. This fort is known for this story of sacrifice, heroism and bravery of the Khinchi rulers and queens.

Gagron Fort Entrance

Ruins of Gagron Fort

Image by Pavan Gupta on Flickr

In medieval India, before the formation of cities like Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Gagaron city was very known and superior in Malwa.

Following the blog ABC Wednesday for “U”

 

Ranthambore Fort, Rajasthan

Ranthambore fort is a part of world heritage site which is situated near Sawai Madhopur town in Rajasthan. Swai Madhopur is a small town which lies in the north Indian state of rajasthan. Ranthambore fort is surrounded by Vindhays and aravallies hill ranges. The name ‘Ranthambore’ is derived from two hills-rann and thambhore . It lies on Thambhore hill which is 481 metres above the sea level. Rann is the adjoining hill to Thambhore hill. From the top of the hill some breathtaking views around the fort can be captured.

Ranthambore Fort (Image by TuAnh Nguyen on Flickr)

HISTORY

This fort was built during the 8^th century by the Chauhan ruler. This fort gain popularity when the ruler of chauhan dynasty, Raja Hammir Dev was crowned in 1283 A.D. This fort is also the symbol of glory and bravery of Raja Hammir Dev. When rulers attacked this fort at different point of time during 12^th to 15^th century in 16^th century ,the fort was captured by Mughals. In 19^th century the fort was possessed by Maharaja of Jaipur.

ARCHITECTURE

The fort has many splended architectural and historical sites. The fort spreads over an area of 7kms. It is surrounded by huge walls made up of stone which are about 7kms in length. These walls are strengthened by towers .Inside the fort, there are many palaces, temples, Step well and houses . Some of them have been destructed like Hammir’s Fort, Badal Mahal and Phansi Ghar . This fort consisted four gateways, out of these four gateways only one gate is still standing named as MISRADHARA.

Interior of Ranthambore fort (Image by thesetter on Flickr)

Ranthambore Fort Badal Mahal (Image by J on Flickr)

Cenotaph of Hammir dev Chauhan (Image by Marissa Bronfman on Flickr)

Ranthambore Fort Mosque (Image by Jay Seedy on Flickr)

TEMPLES

There are three Hindu temples inside the fort constructed in 12^th and 13^th century. The three temples are dedicated to Lord Ganesha , Shiva and Ramlalaji . Main attraction of the fort is ‘The Ganesh Temple’ which is near to the main entry gate. In this temple thousands of pilgrims visit throughout the year from variour parts of the country. There is also a Jain Temple dedicated to Lord SumatiNath and Lord Sambhavanath .

Lord Ganesha Temple(Image by Marissa Bronfman on Flickr)

Shiva Temple Ranthambore Fort

Jain Temple of Ranthambore fort

RANTHAMBORE WILD LIFE CENTURY

In the western part of the fort visitors and tourists usually stay. In eastern part a wild life century is situated which is known for its tiger. This park is the main attraction for the tourists. This is one of the largest Wild life centuries in India. This park is situated within an area of 393 sq.kms. and is popular for its Tiger population. The park was established by the Indian government in 1980 as wild life century to protect the tigers from being extinct. Other wild animals are found here are Leopard, Nilgai , Hyena , Langoors , Fishing cat . This park is also rich in flora, As many species of trees and plants are found here. A large number of banyan trees are grown here .

Tiger In Ranthambore National Park (Image by Modest Janicki on Flickr)

Leopard in Ranthambore (Image bySaran Vaid on Flickr)

Deers in Ranthambore National Park (Image by Rebecca Yale on Flickr)

A visit to Ranthambore is extremely interesting as is provides the tourists with a glimpse and blend of nature, history and religion. Rajasthan is very popular for its fort and Ranthanbore is one of them and visit to this place is more interesting.