Forts Of Rajasthan

Jalore Fort, Jalore

Jalore Fort: Jalore Fort is the main attraction of Jalore, a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan, one of the nine castles of the Maru’, under the Paramaras in the 10th century. It is one of the most famous and impressive forts in the state and has been known through history as the Sonagir.

Nestled atop a hill nearly 1200 ft in height, the entry gate can only be be reached though a serpentine ascent of around two-miles up the hill. The fort features four gates - Suraj Pol, Dhruv Pol, Bal Pol and Siroh Pol. The typical construction of the Suraj Pol helps the first rays of the rising sun enter through its gateway. The major residential palace inside the fort is now deserted, with only its ruins left to view. The Topekhana or the canon foundry is the most vital structure of the fort. It was built by Ala-ud-din Khilji in the 14th century. A few mosques are found inside the fort, which are believed to be built using the remnants of 84 Hindus and Jain temples. Presently, this fort belongs to the State Government’s archaeological department and has been declared as a protected building since 1956.

Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur

Lohagarh Fort, Bharatpur: Lohagarh Fort in Bharatpur is one of the architecturally sound forts in Rajasthan. This fort, also known as the Iron Fort, was built by Maharaja Suraj Mal.The fort is well-known for its sturdy structure, which was able to withstand continuous attacks from the British army. There are three palaces in the fort, Mahal Khas, Kamra Mahal and Purana Mahal. Currently, Kamra Mahal functions as the State Archaeological Museum. Some of the other monuments in the premises of the fort include Kishori Mahal, Kothi Khas, Moti Mahal, Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj.

Aamer Fort

Amer Fort is situated in Amer, which is 11 kilometers from Jaipur. Amer, originally, was the capital of the state before Jaipur. It is an old fort, built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh. This fort is also very popularly known as the Amer Palace. The Amer Fort was built in red sandstone and marble and the Maotha Lake adds a certain charm to the entire Fort. Though the fort is quite old and may even look so from the outside, it is beautiful on the inside and boasts of various buildings of prominence like the 'Diwan-i-Aam', the 'Sheesh Mahal' and even the 'Sukh Mahal'. The Amer Fort has influences of both Hindu and Muslim architecture. This fort also has the 'Shila Devi' Temple and the 'Ganesh Pol' which is a gate that leads to the private palaces of the kings. The Amer Fort has many pavilions and halls of great interest and other popular attractions.

Patwon Ki Haveli, Jaisalmer

Patwon Ki Haveli: Patwon Ji ki Haveli is an interesting piece of Architecture and is the most important among the havelis in Jaisalmer. This is precisely because of two things, first that it was the first haveli erected in Jaisalmer and second, that it is not a single haveli but a cluster of 5 small havelis. The first among these havelis was commissioned and constructed in the year 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa and is the biggest and the most ostentatious. It is believed that Patwa was a rich man and was a renowned trader of his time. He could afford and thus ordered the construction of separate stories for each of his 5 sons. These were completed in the span of 50 years. All five houses were constructed in the first 60 years of the 19th century. The havelis are also known as the 'mansion of brocade merchants'. This name has been given probably because the family dealt in threads of gold and silver used in embroidering dresses. However, there are theories, which claim that these traders made considerable amount of money in Opium smuggling and Money-lending. This is the largest Haveli in Jaisalmer and stands in a narrow lane. This haveli is presently occupied by the government, which uses it for various purposes. The office of the Archeological Survey of India and State art and craft department is situated in the haveli itself.

Share on Google Plus

About Knowledge Of World

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.