The Bhangarh Fort is a 16th-century

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

built in the

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

state of India. The town was established during the rule of

Bhagwant Das Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratnas ...

as the residence of his second son, Madho Singh. The fort and its precincts are well preserved.

Geography

The Bhangarh Fort is located on the border of the Sariska Reserve in the

Aravali range The Aravalli Range (also spelled ''Aravali'') is a mountain range in Northern-Western India, running approximately in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ending in Ahmedabad Gujarat. T ...

of hills in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The nearest village is Gola ka Baas.The fort is situated at the foot of the hills on sloping terrain. The ruins of the king's palace are located on the lower slope of the hills; trees surround the pond area and a natural stream falls into the pond within the premises of the palace. The fort is located from

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

and the approach to the entrance gate of the fort in the last stretch of the road is unpaved. The fort is from Thana Ghazi. The nearest airport is Jaipur International Airport, which is 88.2 km from the fort.

Legends

According to legend, a

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

lived within the fort area, and according to his injunction, any house built in the precinct of the fort should not be taller than his own, and if the shadow of any such house fell on his house, it would result in destruction of the fort town. When columns were added to the fort that cast a shadow on the sadhu's house, the result was destruction of the fort and surrounding towns. According to another tale, a priest who was a practitioner of

black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 14 ...

fell in love with a beautiful Bhangarh princess with many suitors. One day, the priest followed the princess to the marketplace and offered her a

love potion A love potion ( la, poculum amatorium) is a magical liquid which supposedly causes the drinker to develop feelings of love towards the person who served it. The love potion motif occurs in literature, mainly in fairy tales, and in paintings, ...

. However, she refused it, throwing it onto a large rock that consequently rolled onto the priest and crushed him to death. Before he died, the priest cursed the entire village, condemning it to destruction and desolation.

Layout and design

left, View of the inner fortified city as seen from the royal palace Entering through the main gate of the completely ruined fort city, one can find temples, palaces, and

haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...

s. In addition, there are four more points of entry to the fort: the ''Lahori Gate'', the ''Ajmeri Gate'', the ''Phulbari Gate'', and the ''Delhi Gate''. At the entrance of the main gate are many

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...

s, such as ''Hanuman Temple'', ''Gopinath Temple'', ''Someshwar Temple'', ''Keshav Rai Temple'', ''Mangla Devi Temple'', ''Ganesh Temple'', and ''Navin Temple''. The Gopinath Temple is built above a 14 ft raised plinth, and yellow stones are used for the carvings of the temple. The residence of the priest, called the ''Purohitji Ki Haveli'', is located in the precincts of the temple complex. Next in order is the ''Nachan Ki Haveli'' (dancer's palace) and ''Jauhari Bazar'' (market place), followed by the Gopinath Temple. The Royal Palace is located at the extreme end of the fort's limits. The temples dedicated to

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

and Shiv Mahadev are built in the style of

cenotaphs A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

rather than temples. Jhiri marble has been used in their construction. A Muslim tomb found outside the gate of the fort is reported to be that of one of the sons of King

Hari Singh Maharaja Sir Hari Singh (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's death, Singh became ...

Gallery

Bazaar ki Bhangarh Durg - Market street, Bhangarh (July 2021) - img 08.jpg, Ruins of the bazaar Bazaar ki Bhangarh Durg - Market street, Bhangarh (July 2021) - img 05.jpg, Bazaar street Fortifications of Bhangarh.jpg, An entrance to the royal palace Bhangarh Fort - Royal Palace Bhangarh (July 2022) - img 02.jpg, A view from the top of the royal palace Bhangarh Fort - Royal Palace Bhangarh (July 2022) - img 21.jpg, Ruins and discarded stones at the royal palace Bhangarh Gopinath Mandir (July 2022) - img 04.jpg, Gopinath Temple PurohitJi Ki Haveli, Bhangarh.JPG,

Haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...

of the

purohit Purohita ( sa, पुरोहित), in the Hindu context, means ''chaplain'' or ''family priest'' within the Vedic priesthood. In Thailand and Cambodia, it refers to the royal chaplains. Etymology The word ''purohita'' derives from the S ...

Bhangarh Gopinath Mandir (July 2022) - img 04.jpg, Gopinath Temple Kesav Rai Temple, Bhangarh.JPG, Kesav Rai Temple Mangla Devi Temple, Bhangarh.JPG, Mangla Devi Temple

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{Tourism in India Buildings and structures completed in 1613 Forts in Rajasthan Rajput architecture Archaeological sites in Rajasthan Tourist attractions in Alwar district 1613 establishments in India Superstitions of India