Asirgarh Fort is a historical fort located in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, which still stands today praising its glorious past. Asirgarh Fort is situated in the Satpura hills at an altitude of about 250 feet above sea level.
Asirgarh Fort – Geographical Importance
Asirgarh Fort is situated at the confluence of Narmada and Tapti rivers. This fort is also known as Kalod-e-Deccan i.e. the key of the south. The geographical importance of this fort can be known from the fact that it was said about Asirgarh Fort that after the capture of this fort, all the routes of conquest of South India would open and the entire Khandesh would be captured.
असीरगढ़ किला बुरहानपुर | Asirgarh Kila in Hindi
History – Asirgarh Fort
The history of Asirgarh Fort is quite obscure but it is believed that this fort is the place of worship of Ashwathama. People living here believe that immortal Ashwathama still comes here to worship.
According to historians, it was earlier a part of the Chauhan dynasty state. It is believed that a ruler named Asa Ahir had built this fort in the 4th century. The story behind the construction of Asirgarh Fort is also very interesting. According to this story, Asa Ahir had thousands of animals which were sometimes killed by wild animals in the forest and sometimes the animals used to become victims of hunters. For this reason Asa Ahir started searching for a safe place for the safety of his animals. After coming here, when Asa Ahir asked a Sufi saint for permission to stay at this place to keep his animals safe, the Sufi saint gave this permission to Asa Ahir. After that Asa Ahir built this fort there with the help of bricks, mud and limestone and since then this fort became famous by the name of Asirgarh Fort.
Gradually the fame of the fort became so much that Naseer Khan Farooqui, son of Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s soldier Malik Khan Farooqui, requested Asa Ahir to give him this fort. Nasir Khan convinced Asa Ahir that his brothers remained enemies of his life and he wanted to stay in a safe place. Asa Ahir believed this and allowed Nasir Khan to stay in the fort. Then Naseer Khan made the women and children of his family enter the Asirgarh fort along with some soldiers along with weapons. It is said that Nanseer Khan, along with his soldiers, established his control over the fort by killing Asa Ahir and his family and in this way, Naseer Khan fraudulently took control over the fort of Asirgarh.
After some time, when the fame of Asirgarh Fort increased, Akbar planned to take control over it. At that time Bahadur Khan, a descendant of Naseer Khan, ruled here. He refused to accept Akbar’s conditions and declared himself independent. Angered by this, Akbar planned to attack Burhanpur but the security arrangements of the fort were so good that he could not attack the fort of Asirgarh. Bahadur Khan provided all the facilities inside the fort along with lots of ration and water and also closed both the doors of the fort.
Akbar had to wait for 6 months and could not capture the fort of Asirgarh. Then a message was sent to Bahadur Khan to make a treaty, which Bahadur Khan accepted and came to meet Akbar. Akbar injured Bahadur Khan Faruqui, took him captive and declared his control over the Asirgarh fort.
After this Burhanpur came under the rule of Mughals. After Akbar, Asirgarh Fort was ruled by the Marathas from 1760 to 1819 AD and after that the British ruled here during the British Raj.
Architecture – Asirgarh Fort
Asirgarh Fort is divided into many parts. The first part of the fort is called Asirgarh, the second part is called Kamargarh and the third part is called Malaygarh. There are two ways to reach this fort, one way which is in the east direction is a stepped path and the other way which is in the north direction which is a difficult path. At the time of war or attack of enemies, its gate was closed and due to the strong security system of the fort, it was impossible to conquer this fort. For this reason, this fort was called the impenetrable fort or the invincible fort, a fort which no one could conquer without deceit.
Spread over 60 acres, Asirgarh Fort presents a perfect blend of Indian, Turkish, Islamic and Persian architectural styles. This fort looks like a big fort which is actually a collection of three huge forts called Asirgarh, Kamargarh and Malay Garh. This fort is beautifully constructed from brick, stone and limestone.
Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple
Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple located in Asirgarh Fort is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to some stories prevalent here, it is believed that Guru Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthama had built this temple to please Lord Shiva.
There are also two ponds named Ganga and Jamuna in the temple. It is said that it is always filled to the brim with water. It is believed that Ashwatthama Mahadev takes bath in the pond before worshiping in the temple. Drona’s son Ashwatthama still comes here to worship in the Mahadev temple.
Still a mystery, the fort also has a mosque with two minarets. Some ruins are also present inside the fort. There are many secret passages in the fort through which the horsemen could pass through the tunnel of the fort to Burhanpur.
Best time to visit Asirgarh Fort
The best time to visit Asirgarh Fort is from October to March. At this time the weather here is good and it is considered suitable for outdoor activities.
How to reach Asirgarh Fort
The nearest airport to reach Asirgarh Fort is Ahilyabai Holkar Airport which is located in Indore. The distance here from Indore is approximately 159 kilometers. The distance from Indore to Asirgarh can be covered by private transport or state transport.
By Road Burhanpur city is connected to national and state highways by metalled roads making it easily accessible by bus, car and taxi.
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