Kangra fort

The distance of The Kangra Fort is about 3 KM from the town and is also known as Nagarkot. The fort is steeped in rich history. The mammoth size and structure of the fort, all the more make the fort awe inspiring.

At the entrance of the fort, one will encounter a museum. This museum possesses priceless old photographs of the fort itself, preceding the dreadful earthquake of 1905. There are a few beautiful stones, carvings, idols, artifacts and sculptures.

The climb inside the fort will lead one through seven huge doors. Along the way, one will encounter a few numbers of idols imprinted on the walls of the fort. The ramparts face the valley below. One can at once see the history of this fort come alive.

As one climbs farther through the cobbled path, visitors will be exposed to three temples, richly carved in the environs of the Lakshmi Narayan temple, then the Ambika temple and a Jain of Adi Narayan. One cannot deny the fact that the view one gets to look at the rushing streams of the Banganga and the Manji rivers, seen from the fort, is mind-blowing.
It for us to know, that the Kangra Fort was the place of governance of the Katoch Raja, set up by Shusharam Chand Katoch.

It was the early capital of the Katoch sovereignty and representation of authority, placed in the Punjabi hill states. The fort of Kangra, or Nagarkot, stands as a dumb spectator to the damages caused by the victors of Mahmud of Ghazni, in the year 1009 A.D., and then came the destroyers of the emperor of Jehangir, in 1619 A.D. After that the final toll came in April 1905, by when an earthquake ravaged the fort. By the way, it is surprising to note that Akbar failed to capture this fort.

This place is known as “Purana Kangra.” The entry to this fort a narrow path. Their several gates, christened after the conquerors, namely Jehangir and Ranjit Singh. However, during the British Raj, this was neglected. But thanks to the Archaeological Department of India, who has taken the responsibility of the fort’s maintenance. The Kangra Fort is an attraction to the wanderlust and the pilgrims.

This place is about 3 KM away from the Kangra Town and can have the services of air, the rail, and the roadways.  You will find Kangra 17KM away from Dharamshala, about 220KM from Shimla and about 235KM from Chandigarh.

History

This fort was constructed by the royal family of Rajputs who belonged to Kangra and were the disciples of the Katoch Dynasty. The family goes to trace its roots to the early Trigarta Empire. It is also talked about in the Epic Mahabharata. It is considered to be the oldest and the largest fort in the Himalayan region in India as per the historical records.
The castle was captured by Mahmud Ghazni in 1009 A.D. In the year A.D. 1337, the Kangra fort was once again captured, this time it was detained by Muhammad bin Tughluq. His son Firoz Shah Tughluq also captured the fort like his father to show his power and increase the boundary of his kingdom. However, the fort completely came under control in the year 1622 A.D. This time the Mughals took over the fort.

Emperor Jahangir barracked the fort with his soldiers and chose a governor to take charge of the disturbed hill. The decline of the Mughals came round about in the 2nd half of the 18th century. King Sansar Chand II took over the old fort which belonged to his family, in the year 1789. He was later defeated by the Gorkha chieftains. They crossed the Gadwall in the year 1804 and then in the year 1805, Gorkhas captured the Kangra Valley which is spread around the Sutlej River. The battle raged for three long years and ultimately in 1809, the fort fell into the hands of the Gorkhas.

Then in the year 1809, the Gorkhas were defeated by the British East India Company. They too were here to expand their influence. They reached up to Nepal the erstwhile border. Then it came under the guardianship of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, of the Punjab in the year 1809. The fort remained with the Sikhs till the year 1846 and then it shifted over to the Government of Britain.

Architecture

The two entry gates of this castle were constructed during the Sikh era and the inscriptions on the gates prove this. The gates are also attached with a small courtyard. From this gate, a lengthy and fine stretch starts leading up to the top of the fort.  One will also find the Amiri and Ahani Darwaza on his way if he further explores the fort. Both these gates are accredited to Saif Ali Khan the Nawab. He was Kangra’s first Mughal Governor. Approximately 500 Ft from the external gate the stretch turns sharply and leads to the Jehangiri Darwaza. At present, the gate has on its both sides defaced idols of the River Goddesses Yamuna and Ganga, which allowed entry to a court and along the southern side the idols of Lakshmi-Narayan, Ambika and Sitala Devi. To reach the palace one has to take a passage that lies between these two shrines. The Palace is amongst the most beautiful palaces of India.

Location

One will find the fort very next to the Kangra town. 32.1 degree North 76.27 degree East this huge structure rests upon the sharp rock in Old Kangra or the Purana Kangra and ruling the environs. The fort is built at the confluence or the “Sangam”(the meeting place of two rivers)of the Banganga and the Mahi rivers. People believe those who own the Kangra fort, the Kangra city belongs to them.

Near the Old Kangra on the top of the hill one will find the famed Goddess Jayanti Temple. This temple was constructed by the General B. K. A. S. Thapa, Gorkha Regiment. One can also find a museum close to the entrance of the temple. Adjacent to the Kangra Fort, one will find the King Sansar Chand Museum. This is run under the supervision of Kangra’s Royal Family. One can also find a huge collection audio guides which can help to discover and explore the fort. The museum also holds a small cafeteria.

How to Reach

The nearest airport is the Gaggal Airport for the service of the tourists. It lies at a distance of 13KM from the Kangra city. There is another airport for Kangra. It is the Chandigarh Airport. It is at a distance of 225 KM, Jammu 200KM, and Amritsar 208 KM.

By Air

The Gaggal airport handles only domestic flights, which are operated by Indian Airlines. However, the Chandigarh airport handles both domestic and international flights. This helps both national and international tourists. From these airports, visitors may avail of taxis or cabs, readily. They commute the visitors to the fort. Now, the fares are charged as per the season r off-season. Usually, it is about Rs 2500 INR, the standard taxi fare from Chandigarh. From Amritsar, it is Rs 2000, Jammu Rs 2500 and Gaggal Rs 300. Apart from taxis and cabs, tourists can also hire jeeps or private cars.

Some of the nearest airports to reach the state of Himachal Pradesh by flight are the Gaggal airport in Dharamsala 7KM, Pathankot Airport 72 KM, IGI airport in Delhi, 400KM and the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai,1498 KM.

By Road

The nearest broad and meter gauge rail station is Pathankot Railway Station. It is 90KM away. There are few passenger and express trains run by the Indian Railways to reach Himachal Pradesh. The trains pass through important cities of Himachal Pradesh. Journey by train is the best form of travel.

It is the cheapest form of travel and pocket-friendly. Cabs and taxis await your arrival at the Pathankot Railway Station. Visitors to the Fort may hire these vehicles. The railway fare may be around Rs 1000 INR. From Ahmedabad, one can get on to the Adi Jat Express. This train runs daily.

There are other trains that leave from other places of India. They are Delhi- Jammu Mail and the Dauladhar Express; from Bhatinda, one can board the Bhatinda Jat Express, Haiti- the Jat Express, From Jammu, the Jat Adi Express, and the Muri Express. One can also avail the Tata Jat Express, from Tatanagar Junction. From Udhampur you can travel on the Jammu Mail.

By Road

The position of the Fort is so convenient that tourists can easily reach the spot. There state buses that take the visitors to the fort and to other important cities of the state. The state has well- tarred roads and are motorable.

These buses ply between the cities of this area like Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu, Pathankot Palampur, Dharamsala, and Kangra.Traveling in buses is cheap and affordable. You may use private buses. One can also use AC or Non-AC cars.

Best Time to Visit

One should visit this Fort any time from late May to late November. Now Dharamsala does not have historical and ancient monuments. However, The Kangra Fort is enough, to mesmerize you.