Haripur Fort Kangra : Haripur Fort comes under Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. There was a small hill state called Guler in Kangra district. The capital of this hill state was the city of Haripur in Himachal Pradesh.
हरिपुर का किला, काँगड़ा | Haripur Kila in Hindi
Haripur Fort Kangra
Haripur Fort was built by King Harichand. It was built around 1415. This fort and this city are about 800 years old. Raja Harichand Katoch was the king of Rajput dynasty. Haripur and Guler are two separate cities which are heritage cities of Kangra district. This place was ruled by Katoch Rajput kings. Haripur and Guler are separated by the Baner Khand River (Banganga).
Although no definite information is available regarding the construction of Haripur Fort, it is believed that this fort was built between 1405 and 1415.
Haripur Name – Haripur Fort Kangra
Haripur city was founded by King Harichand and this place was also named Haripur after him. There is also a story behind the name Haripur. According to the information of local people, it is believed that at that time Kangra was ruled by King Harichand of Katoch dynasty. King Harichand was very fond of hunting. Once while hunting, the king went towards a dense forest and then he got separated from his companions. King Harichand had fallen inside a well made of grass and straw in the forest itself. His companions searched for him a lot but when they could not find him, they went back. Considering Harichand dead, Harichand’s younger brother was installed on the throne of Kangra. Harichand was in a grassy well in the forest. He stayed in the well for about 28 days and kept trying to come out.
At the same time traders came out of the forest. Then while searching for a well to drink water, someone heard his voice and thus he was taken out. After coming out of the well, King Harichand returned to Kangra but seeing his brother sitting on the throne, he went back from there.
Haripur Fort Kangra
After leaving Kangra, he searched for another very beautiful place full of natural beauty and at that time he built a town at this place. The place was named Haripur after Harichand. It was here that Harichand had built his fort. Here on the main gate of the fort, on one side is the idol of Hanuman ji and on the other side is the idol of Shani Dev.
During the reign of Raja Harichand, the state of Haripur Guler was called a prosperous state. During his reign, King Harichand had paid special attention to his culture, civilization, religious faith, civil security and water supply. Under this, he had constructed many city gates, wells, stepwells, temples etc. in Haripur Guler. There are more than 350 big and small temples built in Haripur Guler. Raja Harichand also constructed many ponds here.
Rani Tara Rani of Haripur – Haripur Fort Kangra
According to the local people, it is believed that at that time King Harichand had three queens, out of which the name of his main queen was Rani Tara Rani. Rani Tara Rani and Raja Harichand had three children, one son and two daughters. At that time, at the last moment of his life, King Harichand had taken a promise from Queen Tara Rani that she would not marry her sons and daughters into any royal family. She will marry him into an ordinary family.
After King Harichand, his wife Queen Tara Rani, respecting his words, got her children married in ordinary families. Later, after some time, Tara Rani also died. After his death, the same staff who looked after this fort of Haripur still remain and the descendants of the king of Haripur sometimes come there to see their heritage. He has also entrusted the task of conservation of this fort to those people. It is also said that he has given a small part of the fort to these employees in which he has also constructed his house.
Temple – Haripur Fort Kangra
Some of the prominent temples in Haripur Fort are Saraswati Temple, Govardhan Dhari Temple, Satyanarayan Temple, Shiv Temple, Kalyan Rai Temple, Tara Rani Temple etc. which are associated with the reign of King Harichand.
Small Kashi – Haripur Fort Kangra
During the time of King Harichand, this place was inhabited by scholars and experts in astrology. In this old city situated on the banks of river Baner Khand, at that time great scholars, great doctors, doctors, writers and musicians lived here, due to which this place was also known as Chhoti Kashi.
Business and Industries – Haripur Fort Kangra
Apart from having religious importance, this city also has its own commercial and industrial importance. It is believed that at that time the furnaces for melting gold were also in the old market of this city. The glasses used in marriages also used to be the attraction of this market.
King Harichand established his capital on the left side of Baner Khand river i.e. Ban Ganga river with the name Haripur which means the city of Hari i.e. Lord Vishnu.
This princely state has been known by the name Haripur Guler. Haripur city was made the capital of Guler. Guler was known as Gwaler at that time. Due to its geographical location being similar to that of Gwalior, it was called Gwalior. Even today, when one looks at Haripur, the historical heritage of Kangra district, one gets the impression that it was an area which was once a symbol of grandeur but today it has become a ruin.
There is no arrangement to reach Haripur Fort today. This historical fort needs special conservation and care.
Best time to visit Haripur Fort Kangra
The temperature of Haripur remains pleasant throughout the year, hence one can come here in any season.
How to reach – Haripur Fort Kangra
The best way to reach Haripur is to travel by road. If you want to come to Kangra by flight and want to see Haripur Fort, then the distance from Kangra’s Gaggal Airport to Haripur is about 45 kilometers. Guler Railway Station is also situated at a short distance from Haripur. If you are traveling by train, then after reaching Guler railway station, you can easily reach Haripur from there.
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