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The Stone Age Heritage Forts of India

by: Bharatvasi

The Stone Age heritage forts of India are some gigantic, huge and magnificent structures that stand still and speak the glory of rich and royal Indian history. Some of these forts are now turned into either heritage sites or great historic monuments or museums. No trip to India is complete without a visit to these ancient architectural wonders.

Following is a list of 10 wonderful Forts in India :

Agra Fort

The second most popular tourist site in Agra, After The Great Taj Mahal, is Agra Fort. It is located at a distance of about 2.5 kms from Taj Mahal. The Agra Fort also grabbed the status of UNESCO World Heritage site. The fort can be precisely described as a walled palatial city that house various palaces and some important buildings. This brick Fort was held by the Rajputs and was home to the Sultan of Delhi. After he was killed in the battle of Panipat, the Mughals captured the fort and its vast treasure, which included the diamond that was later named as the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

Image credit: http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/image/agra_fort.jpg

Ranthambore Fort

The magnificent Ranthambore fort is located amidst of world famous Ranthambore National Park. The Fortress is eyewitness of various historical developments of Rajasthan. Ranthambore was the hunting ground for Maharajas before independence. The fortress in-house 3 temples built back in 12th and 13th century. These temples are dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and Ramalalji. It also in-house two Jain temples dedicated to Lord Sumatinath (5th Jain Tirthankar) and Lord Sambhavanath (3rd Jain Tirthankar).

Image credit: http://www.traveldealsfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/Ranthambore-Fort.jpg

Chittorgarh Fort

The Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India. The grandest fort of Rajasthan, Chittorgarh Fort, is located on the top of a rocky plateau atop a 500 feet high hill near Bhilwara. The fort is spread over 700 acre of land. It is one of the most historically significant forts not only of Rajasthan but of the whole of North India. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the palace fort is its splendid series of canopied balconies. The complex also houses stables for elephant and horses, but is now in ruins.

Image credit: http://www.uniterajput.com/hos/image031.jpg

Sindhudurg

Sindhudurg fort stands on a rocky island, known as Kurte, barely a km from Malavan. Malavan is a small town in the state of Maharashtra, which is 510 kms away from Mumbai and 130 kms away from Goa. The great Maratha warrior, Shivaji, built the fort in 1664. It is located in Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The entire fort was built over a period of three years, the sea fort is spread over 48 acres (190,000 m2) with a two-mile (3 km) long rampart, and walls that are 30 feet (9.1 m) high and 12 feet (3.7 m) thick.

Image credit: http://orbat.com/site/cimh/forts/sindhudurg_files/image004.jpg

Janjira Fort

Janjira fort is a Jal Durg (sea fort) and is one of a kind. The fort is located near the coastal village named Murud in the Raigadh district of Maharashtra. It is the only undefeated fort along the western coast of India, despite Dutch and English East India Company attacks. It is one of the strongest marine forts of India. The word Janjira is the manipulated version of the Arabic word Jazira that means Island.

Image credit: http://www.indiaplaces.com/india-states/img/janjira-fort-picture-03.jpg

Amber Fort

Another magnificent fort that reflects the rich historic past and glory of India is the Amber Fort in Rajasthan. The fort speaks about the rich, royal and luxurious lifestyle of our great Rajput emperors. Built in 16 the century by Raja Man Singh, the fort seems to grow out of the rugged hills with its mighty gates, temples, huge ornate halls, palaces, pavilions, gardens and even a ramp that takes you to the hilltop palace! Beautifully- caparisoned elephants go up and down carrying visitors to and fro making it a fascinating experience you cannot miss if you’re in Rajasthan. The fort is located 11 kms from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.

Image credit: http://www.car-rental-jaipur.com/images/amber-fort.jpg

Golconda Fort

Located about 11 kms away on the outskirts of Hyderabad city is the Golconda Fort. It was the head quarter and whole of the Deccan was controlled from here. The Fort is located on a granite hill at a height of 120 meters. The existing structure was built by Qutub Shahi Kings and was renovated by first three Qutub Shahi Kings over a span of 62 years. This majestic structure has beautiful palaces and an ingenious water supply system. According to a legend, a shepherd boy found an idol on the rocky hill called 'Mangalavaram'. This news reached the Kakatiya king, who was then ruling Golconda. He ordered the construction of a mud fort around the holy spot. Later, the Qutub Shahi kings constructed a huge structure made of granite and expanded the fort area.

Image credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7OWXy-SP8FM/R4wsi3AZ1QI/AAAAAAAAAII/0VGnENmjbhM/s320/golconda.gif

Jaisalmer Fort

One of the finest and well-maintained forts in India is the Jaisalmer Fort in Thar Desert in the State of Rajasthan. We can say that Rajasthan is the fort capital of India, if we look at the total number of forts in the country. The forts of Rajasthan are in very good condition and are the prime tourist locations for people visiting India and Rajasthan. The massive yellow sandstone structure is tawny lion color during the day and turns honey-gold as the sun sets. This transition of color camouflages the fort making it appear a part of the great That desert which is why it is also known as the Golden Fort.

Image credit: http://getaway2india.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/jaisalmer-tourism3.jpg

The Gwalior Fort

Babur, one of the famous Mughal emperor, once described Gwalior Fort as 'the pearl in the necklace of the castles of Hind'. In medieval era, Gwalior Fort was a magnificent structure every king and ruler dream to possess. Many poets and historians have described its glory in their literature and many continue to do so. The control and possession of Gwalior fort has gone through many hands since its establishment. At the time of independence, it was owned by Scindhia dynasty. A perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture is beautifully characterized in the construction of this great monument and one of the most well maintained Fort in India.

Red fort of India

The most Popular of all the forts in India is the Red Fort, called as Lal Qila. The fort is located in Delhi and is one of the famous historic sites. Shah Jahan built it in 1639 and was declared UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 2007. Today it is among the top tourist destinations in India. The architecture of the fort is inspired by Islamic architecture and is built in octagon shape walls covering a perimeter of 2.41km. It took nine long years to construct such a huge structure.

Image credit: http://blog.nesthostelsvalencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/img_0941bis.jpg