Bhangarh Fort
Rajasthan, India
Fortification gate looking towards the royal palace of Bhangarh
Bhangarh Fort is located in Rajasthan
Bhangarh Fort
Bhangarh Fort
Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan
Coordinates27°5′45″N 76°17′15″E / 27.09583°N 76.28750°E / 27.09583; 76.28750
TypeFort
Site information
Owner
Open to
the public		Yes
ConditionVacant; tourist attraction
Site history
Built1573 (1573)
Built byRaja Bhagwant Das
MaterialsStone and brick

The Bhangarh Fort is a 16th-century fort built in the Rajasthan state of India.[1] The town was established during the rule of Bhagwant Das as the residence of his second son, Madho Singh.[2] The fort and its precincts are well preserved.[3][4]

Geography

The Bhangarh Fort is located on the border of the Sariska Reserve in the Aravali range of hills in Alwar district[5] of Rajasthan.[6] The nearest village is Gola ka Baas.[7]The fort is situated at the foot of the hills on sloping terrain. The ruins of the king's palace are located on the lower slope of the hills; trees surround the pond area and a natural stream falls into the pond within the premises of the palace.[8]

The fort is located 235 kilometres (146 mi) from Delhi and the approach to the entrance gate of the fort in the last 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) stretch of the road is unpaved.[6] The fort is 20 miles (32 km) from Thana Ghazi.[8] The nearest airport is Jaipur International Airport, which is 88.2 km from the fort.

Legends

According to legend, a sadhu lived within the fort area, and according to his injunction, any house built in the precinct of the fort should not be taller than his own, and if the shadow of any such house fell on his house, it would result in destruction of the fort town. When columns were added to the fort that cast a shadow on the sadhu's house, the result was destruction of the fort and surrounding towns. According to another tale, a priest who was a practitioner of black magic fell in love with a beautiful Bhangarh princess with many suitors. One day, the priest followed the princess to the marketplace and offered her a love potion. However, she refused it, throwing it onto a large rock that consequently rolled onto the priest and crushed him to death. Before he died, the priest cursed the entire village, condemning it to destruction and desolation.[9][10][11]

Layout and design

View of the inner fortified city as seen from the royal palace

Entering through the main gate of the completely ruined fort city, one can find temples, palaces, and havelis. In addition, there are four more points of entry to the fort: the Lahori Gate, the Ajmeri Gate, the Phulbari Gate, and the Delhi Gate. At the entrance of the main gate are many Hindu temples, such as Hanuman Temple, Gopinath Temple, Someshwar Temple, Keshav Rai Temple, Mangla Devi Temple, Ganesh Temple, and Navin Temple.[6] The Gopinath Temple is built above a 14 ft raised plinth, and yellow stones are used for the carvings of the temple.[12] The residence of the priest, called the Purohitji Ki Haveli, is located in the precincts of the temple complex. Next in order is the Nachan Ki Haveli (dancer's palace) and Jauhari Bazar (market place), followed by the Gopinath Temple. The Royal Palace is located at the extreme end of the fort's limits.[6]

The temples dedicated to Hanuman and Shiv Mahadev are built in the style of cenotaphs rather than temples. Jhiri marble has been used in their construction. A Muslim tomb found outside the gate of the fort is reported to be that of one of the sons of King Hari Singh.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan". Zee News. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Parveen, Wajeda; Sharma, Anrukati (2014). "Bangharh Fort: a case study of dark tourism". Dynamics of Commerce and Management. Archers & Elevators Publishing House. p. 62. ISBN 9789383241439.
  3. ↑ Singh 2010, p. 188.
  4. ↑ "View Population". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Known As The Most Haunted Place In India, Bhangarh Fort Is Not Just Another Place To Visit". Holidify. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Bhangarh Fort: The 'most haunted' place in India?". Yahoo News. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Singh 2010, p. 188.
  8. 1 2 3 Rajputana 1880, pp. 289–90.
  9. ↑ Steven L. Stern (1 January 2011). Cursed Grounds. Bearport Publishing. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-61772-147-2.
  10. ↑ Safvi, Rana (12 November 2017). "Bhangarh: the most haunted fort in India". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "किला जहां सूरज ढलते ही जाग जाती हैं आत्‍माएं Ravi" (in Hindi). Greynium Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd; Oneindia.in. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Templenet Encyclopedia – Temples of Western India". Gopinath Temple. Temple Net.com. Retrieved 21 July 2013.

Bibliography

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