Kangra Fort, Himachal Pradesh

The Kangra Fort can be traced back to the Trigarta Kingdom, mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, and is one of the largest and oldest forts in India. The history of this fort is very interesting, especially the fact that so many big rulers were unable to conquer this fort. The fort consists of two very old temples; the Laxmi Narayan temple and the Ambika Mata Temple which holds a statue of Rishabnatha.

History

The history of the fort dates back to the 4th century BC and thus it is counted among the few prominent historical remains of Kangra. It was constructed by the Katoch Dynasty. The fort was under the possession of different dynasties starting from Mahmud of Ghazni to Ranjit Singh, the Maharaja of Punjab. It is during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, the fort was controlled by an appointed governor to regulate the turbulent chiefs of the hill. Sikhs were the last Indian ruler who possessed this fort before handing it over to the British Government.

Architecture

The fort is spread over an area of around 4 km and is guarded by high walls and ramparts. The river Banganga and Patal Ganga embrace each other at the base of this majestic fort. There are plenty of doors in the fort made by the rulers of several dynasties. The entrance to the fort is designed with stone carvings and is known as Ranjit Singh Gate. The next entrance door to the fort is Jahangiri Darwaza followed by Ahni and Amiri Darwaza.

There are three temples inside the fort ~ Ambika Devi Temple, Shitalamata Temple, and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. There is a temple dedicated to Jaina Tirthankaras where a stone image of Lord Adinath is installed. A staircase between the temples of Shitalamata and Ambika Devi leads to the Sheesh Mahal where a small hall-like compartment is designed with a block of stone at the edge of which a polygonal watchtower is installed.