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.
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