Badam Fort Hazaribagh, Jharkhand : Badam Fort is located in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand state. Badam Fort has been the identity of the historical Karanpura princely state. Badam Fort, located at a distance of about 72 kilometers from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, stands today as a mere ruin.
Badam Fort is a Mughal era fort which was built about 400 years ago. Built by Raja Hemant Narayan Singh of Karanpura princely state, this fort is a historical identity for the people settled in Hazaribagh and Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand state.
बादम किला हज़ारीबाग़ | Badam Kila Hindi, Jharkhand
Historic – Badam Fort Hazaribagh
Karanpur – Badam Fort Hazaribagh
It is said that Karanpura state was founded by Bagh Dev Singh. An incident is told regarding his becoming king. It is believed that Bagh Dev Singh along with his brother Singh Dev Singh had come to work for the Raja of Chhota Nagpur. After staying there for some time, there were differences of opinion between him and the king of Chhota Nagpur on many issues due to which he had a rift with the king. After this, Bagh Dev Singh along with his brother Singh Dev Singh and some brave soldiers went towards Barkagaon (Karanpur).
This Barkagaon later became known as Karanpura. At that time, King Kapar Dev was ruling here. It was a small principality and Bagh Singh and Singh Dev Singh, with the help of their soldiers, defeated Kapar Dev and established their supremacy here. Apart from this, these two brothers had also conquered 21 other small kingdoms and land areas. After this, both these brothers had made Sisiya their capital and Bagh Dev Singh became the king there.
Raja Hemant Narayan Singh – Badam Fort Hazaribagh
Raja Hemant Narayan Singh was the sixth king from this dynasty. He is known as the most famous king of the princely state of Karanpur. The reign of Raja Hemant Narayan Singh was from 1604 to 1661. Raja Hemant Narayan Singh ruled this princely state for 57 years. During his rule, Raja Hemant Narayan Singh completed the construction of Badam Fort in the year 1642.
Raja Hemant Narayan Singh was a Shiva devotee king and he also built the Shiva Math in Badam Fort. Today, however, it has reached a very dilapidated condition and only ruins remain.
Raja Dalel Singh was the last king to live in this palace. Raja Dalel Singh had shifted his capital from Badam to Ramgarh due to the terror of the Mughals. Ramgarh is located at a distance of about 30 miles from Badam. Later his descendants built Padma Mahal there which still attracts tourists.
Badam Fort Hazaribagh – Architecture
Raja Hemant Narayan Singh had called artisans from Patna to carry out the construction work of Badam Fort. At that time, a high place was searched to build the fort which was nearest to the Badmahi river. Then a fort was built on a hill. When Badam Fort was built, it had two storeys. The king and queen resided on the upper floor of the fort and the soldiers, their horsemen, elephants, mahouts etc. used to live on the lower floor.
Stones and red soil have been used in the construction of Badam Fort. In the construction work of the fort, lime, jaggery and urad dal were used to join the bricks together.
Badam Fort – Singh Dwar
The main gate of Badam Fort is known as Singh Dwar. Stairs were also built in the fort to reach the upper floor. The Badamahi River can be seen from the windows visible on the stairs to the upper floor. Its rooms were made in such a way that one felt cool even during the summer days.
Raja Hemant Singh used to worship Mahadev (Lord Shiv) and had established a Panch Vahini Mata idol, which can still be seen there. A well was also constructed near the palace. It is also said that the descendants of the Pandits who had accompanied the king as royal priests at that time, come here to offer prayers at the Shiva temple and Radha Krishna temple.
A rose tree was also planted in front of the palace. It is said about this rose plant that this plant was planted on the orders of Raja Dalel Singh’s wife, which still looks green even today. Its specialty is that its plant cannot be made even by cutting and planting it. It is called Sevatiya in the local language. It is approximately 400 years old.
At Present – Badam Fort Hazaribagh
Badam Fort is a historical heritage which is in a dilapidated condition today. Often local tourists from nearby areas come here otherwise very few people know about it. This fort of Badam is situated at a distance of 500 meters from Badam Chowk and appears to be surrounded by bushes. This fort, which was once the residence of the king of Karanpur state, has only its remains.
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