Achitragarh Fort

Travel To India > Nagaur > Achitragarh Fort

Nagaur is a historical town that houses palaces, shrines and a fort. It is one of the hot tourist destinations in Rajasthan. It is famous for its colorful lifestyle and one of the biggest cattle fairs in the state. People from all over come to the fair to enjoy it and buy some good cattle. The fair is very fun filled and gives you a glimpse into the culture of the state. There are various stalls, cultural activities like cockfights, camel races, etc to entertain the crowd. Dancing and singing is an integral part of the culture of Rajasthan.

Nagaur is a fortified desert city and the focal point is the Nagaur fort. There is a mosque with five domes and there is a beautiful Shams Masjid as well in the fort premises. The Mogul gardens are well cared for and are still in very good condition.

The Nagavanshis built Achitragarh Fort during the fourth century. This fort was built as a mud fort and was later rebuilt in stone by Mohammed Bahlim, the governor of Ghaznivites. Many including the Chauhans, Chalukayas, Ghazani, Allaudin Khilji and others from Lodhi Dynasty, held the fort. The fort is situated in the heart of Nagaur and the battlements can be seen from all the parts of the city. The fort is surrounded by urban settlements and important historical monuments and is an integral part of the city.

The fort has distinct Rajput-Mughal architecture and is very special amongst India's heritage sites. The organization of the fort is spatial and there is a variety of spaces in the fort. There is juxtaposition of open, semi-open and enclosed spaces of the palace. The Baradaris are interwoven with the flow and stored water systems. There are various levels of terraces and strategic view points brilliantly combined to give security and asthetic beauty. There are interesting architectural elements like the protecting Jharokas, cusped bracket arches, wall paintings, mirror work and carved stone jails of excellent quality.

Climatic considerations are important here as the spaces are at the North-west and Southeast according to the position of the sun in winter and the summer breeze. There is water in the form of aqueducts, wells, step-wells (Barois), Hamams or Turkish Baths, underground storages and kunds. All of these are carefully positioned so as to add to the aesthetic and environmental value.

The fort has three gates, Sir Pol, Beech ka pol and Kacheri pol. There are various palaces built during various periods by the rulers and they are worth seeing. The prominent among them are Hadi rani mahal, Deepak mahal, Bhakt Singh palace, Amar Singh mahal, Akbari mahal. There is an indivisual haveli to every queen in the Ranwas. The very central role of the Zenene is evident in the placement of the Hadi Rani's palace. The palace building and service buildings are at the center and enclosed in the gates and walls. The battlements of the fort are very well placed away from the palace complex and are not imposed upon them.

The palaces are double storied except the Hadi Rani palace which has three stories. There is extensive wall painting in the Abha and Hadi Rani palaces. The Mirror work in the Akbari Mahal is beautiful and has embellishments.

There are two temples the Krishna mandir and the Ganesh mandir along with the Shah Jahani mosque within the fort complex. There is a jain temple in Nagaur. Glass Jain temple is exquisitely carved out of glass and Jains consider this a very sacred place.

Tarkeen Dargah is a famous Muslim shrine. It is dedicated to Hamiduddin Nagauri who was a disciple of the Khwaja of Ajmer. The Muslims and the Sufis consider this shrine as a very holy place.