Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh : Kangra Fort is a huge fort located on the outskirts of the town of Kangra in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. This fort is spread over an area of about 4 kilometers. Kangra Fort has the distinction of being the oldest fort in India. It is believed that this fort is about 3500 years old.
In ancient times Kangra Fort was also known as Kangra Nagarkot or Trigarta. This fort has been the seat of the Katoch dynasty, which is considered to be one of the oldest dynasties in India. The description of Trigarta Empire is also found in Mahabharata. This fort is built at a place called Old Kangra. Kangra Fort is situated in the lap of Dhauladhar mountain range between Majhi and Ban Ganga rivers.
The strategic location of this fort, the architecture of the fort and the history of the fort display the glorious pride of India. Kangra Fort is only 20 kilometers away from Dharamshala city of Himachal Pradesh.
कांगड़ा किला, कांगड़ा, हिमाचल प्रदेश | Kangra Kila in Hindi
History – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
Nothing can be said about when Kangra Fort was built. There is mention of this fort during Alexander’s invasion of India in the fourth century BC. It is said that Kangra Fort was built by Susharma Chand Katoch who participated in the war with the Kauravas during the Mahabharata period. The history of the fort is linked with the Katoch dynasty. The Katoch dynasty is also related to King Porus, the same Porus who defeated Alexander in battle.
The splendor and opulence of Kangra Fort has been very important. Given its grandeur, the fort has been attacked many times by invaders, which included Greeks, Kashmiris, Gorkhas, Mughals, Sikhs and the British. Today this fort has become a ruin, but looking at it one can still feel the glorious history of the fort.
It is believed that there were 21 wells in the area around the fort which contained secret treasures and each well was 4 meters deep and about two and a half meters wide. Attracted by this splendor and wealth, many attacks were made on the fort.
According to historians, Kangra Fort contained unimaginable treasures, due to which the fort became a prime spot for other rulers and foreign invaders to plunder. The first attack on Kangra Fort was carried out by Raja Shrestha Sen of Kashmir. The first foreign attack on this fort was done by Mahmud Ghaznavi of Ghazni. Kangra Fort was also attacked by the Turkish Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq and after his death it was ruled by his successor Firoz Shah.
Historians believe that Mahmud of Ghazni laid siege to Kangra Fort several times and looted 8 out of 21 wells. It is said that Akbar also besieged Kangra Fort 52 times and failed every time. Later, after a siege of 14 months, Akbar’s son Jahangir captured this fort. He also killed the then king Hari Chand Katoch and his other associates. The Mughal Empire ruled here for about one and a half century. Later Raja Sansar Chand Katoch, who was a minor at that time, ascended the throne of Kangra in 1775 and ushered in a golden era for the Kangra dynasty.
At that time he had reclaimed Kangra with the help of Jai Singh Kanhaiya’s Sikh army and in return he had also granted some territories to Jai Singh Kanhaiya. This period is called the golden age of the Katoch dynasty of Kangra. During his rule, he built many temples, forts, palaces, gardens and many villages here. He gave a new life to the local culture and traditions of that time. During this period, many artisans, musicians, craftsmen, dancers, cannon makers from every corner of the country were brought to Kangra to work and the Kangra miniature painting style was also established at that time.
Raja Sansar Chand had gradually annexed all the surrounding areas into his kingdom, which included Mandi, Sirmaur, Chamba, and had prepared a large army for the protection of the fort, but due to Sansar Chand being extremely ambitious. Gradually the Katoch dynasty started declining in Kangra. The rule of Gorkhas was established on the fort of Kangra. Then Sansar Chand had sought help from Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, as a result of which the Gorkhas had to flee from there and due to a treaty, the control of the Sikhs was established over the Kangra fort.
The British captured this fort in 1846. It is believed that they looted 5 wells containing treasures present in the fort but after the fort suffered severe damage due to the severe earthquake in 1905, the British abandoned the fort and handed it back to the Katoch kings.
Architecture – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
Kangra Fort was once known for its splendor and being impregnable. The fort was situated on a rock on a hill at the confluence of two rivers, Manjhi and Banganga, which overlooked the entire Kangra valley. This fort is spread over an area of 4 kilometers. The height of the wall of this fort is about 300 feet above the river level. This fort is protected by huge walls. The parapet of the fort is built on the slope of the hill in such a way as to provide several layers of defence. There are 23 towers and 7 gates inside this fort. Two big cisterns were built inside the fort.
Kangra Fort displays the architecture of medieval and ancient forts. The arches built in the fort, the artefacts, carvings and domes etc. add to the beauty of Kangra Fort. This fort still presents its glorious past of that time but today it has turned into ruins due to lack of care.
Kangra Fort has been ruled by many kings from time to time. The victorious rulers who conquered the fort had built many gates to celebrate their celebrations in their own way. Some of the prominent gates are Jahangir Darwaza, Ahani and Amiri Darwaza (which is dedicated to the Mughal Governor Nawab Saif Ali Khan), apart from this Ranjit Singh Darwaza (which is dedicated to Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji) was built. The gate at the top of Kangra Fort is known as Andheri Gate.
Ranjeet Singh Darwaja – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
The main entrance of Kangra Fort is Ranjit Singh Darwaza which has a huge gate and the door is quite small. Passes through a small corridor. There are two gates in this corridor. Looking at the inscriptions present on these gates, it is known that they were built after the Sikh period.
Ahani Amiri Darwaja – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
After Ranjit Singh gate, one reaches the top of the fort through Ahani and Amiri gates where the artworks of Ganesh ji, Hanuman ji and Amba Devi are made.
Jahangir Darwajai Andheri Dwar – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
After this comes Jahangir Darwaza which was built in 1620. Next comes the dark gate from where enemies could be monitored and attacked. After this, there is the darshani gate and further there is a big courtyard where ancient buildings were built. Ambika temple and Adinath Jain temple are built together in the courtyard.
Brijeshwari Devi Mandir – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
There is also a temple of Mata Brajeshwari Devi inside the Kangra Fort. It is said that at the time of Katoch dynasty, all the money was dedicated to the idol of Mata Brajeshwari due to which there used to be attacks by invaders because of the immense wealth there. This temple is still revered by the local people there.
Other Attractions – Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
There are other attractive places to visit around Kangra like Jwaladevi Temple, Lakshmi Narayan Temple and Adinath Temple. Apart from this, Maharaja Sansar Chand Katoch Museum is the main attraction of Kangra.
Best Time to visit Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
The time from September to June is considered the best here. The opening timings of the fort have been fixed from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. To enter the fort, a ticket of Rs 150 per person has been arranged which is accompanied by a guide and for foreign tourists this price is Rs 300.
How to reach Kangra Fort Himachal Pradesh
The nearest airport to Kangra Fort is Gaggal Airport at a distance of about 11 kilometers from Kangra city. One can take buses, taxis and auto rickshaws to reach the fort from the airport.
Kangra has its own railway station which is located inside Kangra Valley but it is a toy train station
So that it has no connection with other cities of the country. The nearest railway station to Kangra is Pathankot Railway Station which is about 87 kilometers away from Kangra.
The distance of Kangra from the country’s capital Delhi is about 450 kilometers. Kangra can be easily reached by bus from Delhi. Kangra is also very close to the country’s major city Chandigarh, its distance from here can be covered within only 5 to 7 hours.
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