Uparkot is a fort located in east side of

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally t ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

History

A fort and town was established at the foothills of

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. Geology Mount Girnar is a major igneous plutonic complex which intruded into the basalts towards the close of the Deccan Trap period. The rock types identified in this complex are gab ...

hill during reign of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

and continued to be used during

Gupta period The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, but it lost its importance when the capital of Saurashtra region was moved from Junagadh to

Vallabhi Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur, modern Vala; Devanāgarī: वल्लभी) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, near Bhavnagar in western India. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the S ...

Maitraka The Maitraka dynasty ruled western India (now Gujarat) from approximately 475 to approximately 776 CE from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who followed the Mithraic mysteries, ...

Chudasama The Chudasama are a Rajput clan found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are offshoot of the Samma tribe of Sind. The Chudasama dynasty of Junagadh once ruled Thatta of Sind and Chudachandra laid foundation in Gujarat with Junagadh ...

s settled around Junagadh from 875 CE according to bards when they acquired Vamansthali (Vanthli) from Chavda ruler. A 10th-century

Abhira The Abhira tribe is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. A historical people of the same name are mentioned in the ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea''. They are thought to be people who moved in from eastern Iran in the aftermath of ...

king

Graharipu Graharipu was a 10th-century Abhira tribe, Abhira king of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region of western India with his capital at Vamanasthali (now Vanthali). He was a contemporary of Mularaja, the first Chaulukya dynasty, Chaulukya ruler ...

Ahir Ahir or Aheer are a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

(r. c.940-c.982) cleared the old citadel free from the jungle. From the evidence contained in the Hemchandra's ''Dvyashraya'', it can be concluded that Graharipu laid the foundations of the citadel as it now exists. the legend is told about its rediscovery.

Legend

After several Chudasamas of Vamansthali had ruled, a woodcutter one day managed to cut his way through the forest and came to a place where stone walls and a gate existed. Nearby sat a holy man in contemplation, and on being asked by the woodcutter the name of the place and its history, he replied that its name was "Juna" — old. The woodcutter returned by the way he had come to Vamansthali, and reported his discovery to the Chudasama ruler, who ordered the forest to be cleared away. This being done, the fort came into sight. But there was none who knew its history, or who could tell more than the holy man had told the woodcutter. So the place became known as "

" for want of a better title. If this story is to be believed, either

rediscovered an ancient stronghold or else after he had built the fort, it was abandoned and afterwards found again by a later ruler Navaghana who transferred Chudasama capital from Vamansthali to Junagadh.

Restorations

In 1893-94, Haridas Viharidas, the Dewan of Junagadh State, had restored the fort. In July 2020, the

Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciar ...

initiated the restoration of the fort and the structures inside it at the cost of . The project will be completed in 18 months.

Architecture and places of interest

The Uparkot is one of the most interesting of old forts. The parapets on the east, where the place is commanded by higher ground, have been raised at least three times to give cover against the increasingly long range of projectiles. The entrance is beyond the town in the east wall, and consists of three gateways, one inside the other. The fort walls are from 60 to 70 feet high, forming a massive cluster of buildings. The inner gateway, a beautiful specimen of the

Torana ''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...

, has been topped by more later

Indo-Saracenic Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...

work. On the rampart above the gate is an inscription of

Mandalika III Mandalika III, called by the epithet Ra Gangajalio, was a Chudasama dynasty, Chudasama king of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region of western India who reigned from to (Vikram Samvat, VS 1507 to VS 1527). His capital was at Junagadh. Mand ...

, dated 1450. Near this is the Jumma Masjid built by

Mahmud Begada Sultan Mahmud Begada or Mahmud Shah I (), was the most prominent Sultan of the Gujarat Sultanate. Raised to the throne at young age, he successfully captured Pavagadh and Junagadh forts in battles which gave him his name ''Begada''. He establish ...

. The Tomb of Nuri Shah, close to the mosque, is ornamented with fluted cupolas, and a most peculiar carving over the door. There are two Wells in the Uparkot — the

Adi Kadi Vav Adi Kadi Vav or Adi Chadi Vav is a stepwell in Uparkot Fort, Junagadh, Gujarat, India. The date of its construction is uncertain. History According to Junagadh district administration website, the stepwell was constructed in 15th century. Other ...

, said to have been built in ancient times by the maids of the Chudasama rulers, is descended by a long flight of steps; and the

Navghan Kuvo Navghan Kuvo is a stepwell in Uparkot Fort, Junagadh, Gujarat, India. History Navghan Kuvo is named after the Chudasama king Ra Navaghana. The forecourt to reach the well was probably built during his reign in 11th century. It is believed to have ...

, cut to a great depth in the soft rock, and with a circular staircase.

Uparkot Caves Uparkot caves, also Uperkot caves, are ancient man-made caverns. The caves are a part of the Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups situated in the eastern part of Junagadh of the Indian state of Gujarat. Caves These caves located at Uperkot beyond the ...

are 2nd-3rd century Buddhist caves located in the Uparkot. It is double storeyed cave complex used by Buddhist monks during ancient times. Nawabi Lake is a square artificial lake located in the Uparkot.

Gallery

File:Gate of Uperkot Fort 01.jpg, Gate File:Cannon at Uperkot Fort 01.jpg, Cannon File:Cannon at Uperkot Fort 02.jpg, Cannons named Neelam and Manek File:Upparkot Fort, Junagarh.jpg, Jama Mosque (formerly a palace) File:Mausoleum in Uperkot Fort.jpg, Tomb of Nuri Shah File:Adi Kadi Vav 04.jpg, Adi Kadi Vav File:Navghan Kuvo 02.jpg, Navghan Kuvo File:Uparkot fort.jpg, Mosque File:Buddhist caves, Uperkot 05.jpg, Buddhist Caves File:Adi Kadi Vav - Junagadh - Gujarat - 001.jpg, Adi Kadi Vav, Junagadh, Gujarat

References