FORTS IN INDIA
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Chitradurga Fort
The Chitradurga Fort was built in different phases between the 11th and 13th centuries by dynastic rulers, including the Hoysalas, the Chalukyas and later the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Chitradurga Fort in Karnataka was expanded during the 15th and 18th centuries by the Palegar Nayakas or Nayakas of Chitradurga. During the region of Madakari Nayaka V from 1758 to 1779, the city of Chitradurga and the fortress were taken over by Hyder Ali. Thus, the fort had gone through the hands of numerous kings and rulers and witnessed some major transformations. Twenty years later, the famous ruler Tipu Sultan, the son of Hyder Ali was defeated and killed by the British forces. The British colonial forces considered the fort a strong foundation for building a powerful defense line to Mysore’s northern border and they took the fort under their command. Later, the fort became a property of the Mysore Government.
Mehrangarh Fort Of Jodhpur
The Mehrangarh Fort was built in the year 1459 by Rao Jodha, the ruler of Mandore and the founder of the city of Jodhpur. Whilst building the city, he realized that the location is safe, isolated, and hence apt to be his capital. That is when he decided to build a massive fort spread over an area of 5 km with a height of 125 m to keep his loved ones and the people of his kingdom safe from invaders.
Legend has it that Rao Jodha had to forcefully relocate a hermit named Cheeria Nathji from the hill to build the fort, which ended him up with a curse. The hermit cursed that the fort will always suffer from the scarcity of water. In an attempt to get rid of the curse and appease the hermit, Rao Jodha built a temple and a house for him within the fort.
Gwalior Fort
Often known as Gibraltar of India, Gwalior Fort is situated near Madhya Pradesh in India. It was built in the 6th century by using lime mortar and Sandstone. This fort is constructed on 741.3 acres.
Gwalior Fort is one of the most popular and eminent monument and is also considered to be a world famous tourist spot. Beauty with a rich heritage and a deep history can be a phrase that can be used to describe this place.
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is celebrated for its impressive history and has witnessed many battles with Mughals, Tughalaqs, Khiljis and Rathore Kings. The fort was built by Raja Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD. However, a fortified defence structure called Rang Burj was added to it in 1276 AD by Rawal Jethsi after two invasions by the Sultan of Delhi Alauddin Khilji.Sultan Alauddin Khilji’s army surrounded the fort for about 8-9 years. After repeated attempts, the Sultan succeeded in capturing Jaisalmer Fort from the Bhati Rajputs in 1294. This forced around 25,000 women to commit jauhar or self-immolation to protect their honour.After keeping possession of the fort for about two years, Khilji’s army abandoned the castle. It was inhabited again by the surviving Bhatis later and over time the kingdom regained its former glory.The fort witnessed another jauhar in the late 14th-century when Delhi’s Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq attacked Jaisalmer.
Sindhudurg Fort
After selecting the island for building a fort, the auspicious day for building the foundation was chosen as 25th November 1664. There is a sacred rock near Malvan called “Moryacha Dhonda”, which represents has carvings of Lord Ganesh, the Sun and the Moon and Shiv Linga. This sacred rock was worshipped before starting construction of Sindhudurg fort. There are detailed letters which describe many aspects about the vision of building forts of Shivaji Maharaj and the details associated with it. One such letter details out the resources required for Sindhudurg. There were about 500 masons, 200 blacksmiths, 100 Portuguese and 3000 workers who worked for 3 years continuous to complete the fort. The characteristic of Sindhudurg is that the foundation stones are laid down in slots and molten lead was poured to fix them strongly. The lime stone was ordered from central part of the Deccan plateau. Shivaji Maharaj had written specific details on resource management in his letters, and was personally present on 29thMarch 1667 when the fort was completed.
