This year, on Independence Day, you can visit the historical forts of India and get acquainted with your heritage. As we know, many forts in India are very famous and have a rich history with them. Here, we are telling you about three such forts.
Panhala Fort
The structure of Panhala Fort is like a snake. Chhatrapati Shivaji spent more than 500 days here. This fort is situated at an altitude of 3127 feet, and the surrounding views from here are very beautiful. This ancient fort is located on the Sahyadri mountain range near Kolhapur in Maharashtra. It is counted among the largest forts in India.
This fort has witnessed many battles, including Marathas, Mughals and the British East India Company. Queen Tarabai of Kolhapur spent the early years of her reign in this fort. The circumference of this fort is 14 kilometres, and many tunnels are below it. The natural beauty around the fort mesmerizes the tourists. This fort is located on the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri road. This fort was built between 1178 and 1209 AD. Shilahara ruler Bhoj II built this fort.
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort is in Rajasthan. This fort is from the 7th century. Chitrangada Mori built the fort. This fort is very huge. The history of this fort is very rich. Tourists are mesmerized by seeing the vastness of the fort. Chittorgarh Fort is 310 km away from Jaipur. This fort is spread over 700 acres and is situated on the banks of the Berach River. This fort has been included as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is the fort where Queen Padmavati performed Jauhar with her maids. This Jauhar happened during the reign of King Ratan Singh.
At the time of Alauddin Khilji’s invasion, Padmavati, along with 16 thousand maids, had committed suicide by fire in the Chittorgarh fort. Bappa Rawal, the founder of the Guhil dynasty in Mewar, defeated the last ruler of the Mori dynasty, Manmori, in a war and established his authority over Chittorgarh in the 8th century. This fort is now in ruins. There are 7 gates in this fort. These are Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol, and Ram Pol.
Gwalior Fort
The Gwalior Fort, located in Gwalior city of Madhya Pradesh, is very famous. Raja Man Singh Tomar built this fort. This fort looks very beautiful due to its architecture, excellent carvings on walls and ramparts, paintings, and craftsmanship. Made of red sandstone, it is situated at a height of 100 meters. The outer wall of this fort is about 2 miles long.
In this fort, you can visit Gujari Mahal, Mansingh Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, Karan Mahal, and Shahjahan Mahal. This fort is mainly divided into two parts—the main fort and the palace. Raja Man Singh built these forts. He built the Gujari Mahal for his beloved queen, Mrignayani. Now, Gujari Mahal has been converted into an archaeological museum.
This fort in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, has witnessed the bloodiest battles in history. In the year 2013, UNESCO declared this fort a World Heritage Site. This fort is spread over 700 acres. This fort is situated on the banks of the Berach River. Historians believe the Mori dynasty king Chitrangada Mori built this fort in the seventh century.
Chittorgarh Fort is the oldest fort in Rajasthan. This fort is built on Chitrakoot hill. It is said about the fort that ‘Garh to Chittorgarh and the rest are all Gadhaiya’. This fort has 7 gates. These are Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol, and Ram Pol. There are temples, palaces and reservoirs in this fort. There are 113 temples and 14 water tanks in this fort.
