Mehrangarh

BySamiran Nandi

At a distance of 6 km from Jodhpur Junction, an ancient hill fort at Jodhpur, Mehrangarh is a renowned fort in Rajasthan, and among the must visited fort in Jodhpur.

At above 407 ft, it was built by Rao Jodha in 1459, he transferred his capital from Mandore to Jodhpur. The fort was named Mehrangarh, – ‘Fort of the Sun’. Though the fortress was originally started in 1459 under Rao Jodha, most of the fort which stands today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh of Marwar (1638 -78). Today, Mehrangarh fort is preserved and is under Maharaja Gaj Singh II – the current Rathore ruler.

According to folklore, it is believed that to develop Mehrangarh fort, Rao Jodha displaced a hermit called Cheeria Nathji (The lord of birds), who was the hill’s only human occupant. Being angry with this forced displacement, he cursed Rao Jodha that his kingdom will suffer from a serious scarcity of water and even today the area is plagued by droughts in every 3 to 4 years.

Another tale is that during construction of Mehrangarh, Rao Jodha buried Raja Ram Meghwal alive in the foundations and promised him that his family will be taken good care of, in return of his sacrifice. Even till today, his descendants live in the fort, on an estate named Raj Bagh.

Among the Jodhpur tourist places, the fort is enclosed by 120 ft. high and 70 ft. thick walls. The fort has 7 gates and the famous among them is Jayapol (victory gate). This gate was constructed by Maharaja Man Singh to celebrate his victory over the armies of Jaipur and Bikaner. The Fatehpol was raised under Maharaja Ajit Singh to commemorate the defeat of the Mughals.

Imprints of cannonball hits by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. Loha Pol is the final gate into the main part of the fort complex. Immediately on the left, handprints of the Ranis who immolated themselves on the funeral pyre of their husband, Raja Man Singh – 1843. To the left of the fort is the chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell on the spot while defending Mehrangarh Fort.

Similar Posts

  • Madagascar

    BySamiran Nandi

    Madagascar has a tableaux of landscapes, here dripping rainforests, giant baobab trees like windmills towering in savannah, and crazy outcroppings of limestone pinnacles like a million wonky Gothic church spires enhances the aura. Human race have existed inside these captivating emerald highlands, a thousand shades of green dazzle in terraced rice fields, framed in dykes…

  • Amer Fort

    BySamiran Nandi

    Amer being an ancient fort city showcases a lot of historically significant places. Some of the known spots which can be found are – Diwan-e-Aam of Amer Fort A hall where kings would’ve attended grievances. The pillars inside the Diwan-e-Aam gives character for this hall. A point worth noticing is that Diwan-e-Aam has dual elephant…

  • Nepal

    BySamiran Nandi

    Nepal a country in Indian subcontinent with a history of its own which dates back to ages. Indian epics, Buddhist and Jain scriptures shows Nepal as a birthplace of Sakyamuni. For many reasons, Nepal’s history has influence in histories of China & India. From ages, Nepal has attracted people leading to a diverse culture. Kathmandu…

  • | |

    Tea Trip at Assam

    BySamiran Nandi

    Dibrugarh, a town situated on the banks of river Brahmaputra in Upper Assam is known as the Tea town of Assam. A historic town of Tea Gardens having a credit for first commercial tea plantation in British India. Heritage Tea Bungalow and soothing environment remain ideal for families & connected with all major cities in…

  • Janaki Temple

    BySamiran Nandi

    Inside Terai, in Dhanusha district of Janakpur, ancient temples & monasteries preserves deities through arts & crafts, regarded as a religious centre. The capital of Mithila has pilgrimage sites. Sita, the queen of Ram was born and raised here. Each and every square of Janakpur boosts a deity from Ramayana. The town got the name…