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

  • | | |

    Pabitara

    BySamiran Nandi

    A wildlife reserve at Pabitara, Assam. Situated at lower Brahmaputra Valley, it is in the Morigaon District which are filled with rhinoceros. The Wildlife Sanctuary is a small heaven for the wildlife enthusiasts. It is one of the two treasure troves of the famed and endangered one-horned Rhinos in Assam, another being Kaziranga. Comprising 38.83…

  • Pratapgad

    BySamiran Nandi

    Pratapgad is at 15 km from Poladpur and 14 miles west of- Mahabaleshwar, a well-known hill station. The fort is at 3,540 ft, built on a spur that overlooks the road in between the villages of Par and Kinesvar. Raje Shivaji commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle as his prime minister, who undertook the construction to defend….

  • Shivneri

    BySamiran Nandi

    17th CE. military fortification at Junnar, Pune. Shivneri was the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivneri was a region under Buddhist dominion from around 1st century AD. The caves, rock-cut architecture and water system indicate presence of human life from 1st CE. It oversees a trading path. The area was controlled under Bahmani Sultanate after…

  • Shaniwarwada

    BySamiran Nandi

    Blazing in the summer sun, inside the heart of Pune City stands the ruins of the majestic fort, Shaniwar Wada. Located on the banks of a dry river, this fort belongs to an important chapter in the history of the Maratha. Amidst Pune’s traffic and noise, the fort stands out as a living testimony of…

  • Underwater sites – Bali : Indonesia

    BySamiran Nandi

    Jemeluk Beach has a site that contains a postbox that is underwater & operated through Indonesian Post Company. They actually inaugurated the first underwater mailbox in Indonesia. If you really want to have this experience about sending post through underwater sources, maybe Jemeluk beach remains one of the great options to explore in Bali, Indonesia….