Kans Quila is a fortified castle located in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The fort is named after "Kansa", a king who lived around 5500 BC, in the ancient city of Mathura, India. Kansa was the maternal uncle of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

, a Hindu deity. The fort is believed to be from the age of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

, about 5500 BC. It is situated on the northern banks of the

Yamuna River The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Ban ...

. The fort is also known as the Old Fort or ''Purana Quila''. Ancient texts suggest, Kansa tried to kill Krishna when Krishna was born. Historical data suggests this fort was destroyed and rebuilt at least 12-15 times. The last person to built this fort It was in 16th century by

Raja Man Singh Man Singh I, popularly known as Mirza Raja Man Singh (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 29th Kachwaha Rajput Raja of Amer, later known as Jaipur state, in Rajputana. He was the most powerful and trusted general of the Mughal empe ...

of Amber. The ruins of the fort has a mixture of Hindu and Mughal architectural styles. An observatory is said to have been added in the complex by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (1699–1743), however it has been demolished now. The fort has an audience hall surrounded by red sandstone pillars. The fort was earlier used as a barrier against floods.

References

{{India-geo-stub Forts in Uttar Pradesh Rajput architecture Tourist attractions in Mathura