Indian Forts & Palaces, Indian Forts

Forts in India

Agra Fort
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th- century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5- km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.

It represents first major building project of Akbar, though remains of only a few buildings built by him now survive. Built on the site of an earlier castle in AD 1565-75, the fort, apart from other important units,contains Jahangiri Mahal, Khass Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. Many extant buildings were erected by Shah Jahan (AD 1630-55). Irregularly triangular on plan, it is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone which is about 2 km in perimetre and interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions. Of its four gates, the most impressive is the Delhi Gate on the west.

Amber Fort, Jaipur Located up on the Araval hills surrounding Jaipur, the Amber Fort, sprawls along the Maotha Lake. With massive complex gateways, courts, stairways and pillared pavilions and palaces the Amber Fort is a truly awe-inspiring structure. Amber is the erstwhile capital of the Jaipur State and is just a twenty-minutes drive from the walled city of Jaipur. The work on the fort was started by Raja Man Singh I in 1592 and was completed by Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai Singh, over a period spanning around two centuries. Apart from the various mahals (palaces), the fort also houses the temple of Shilla Mata, the family deity of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family. Each year during the Navratras, a massive fair is held here with thousands of devotees flocking the fort for worshipping including the royalty. The fort is a classic example of the fusion of Mughal and Hindu architecture. Adorning the structure are the magnificent pillared hall of the Diwan - i - Am, and the two - tiered painted gateway Ganesh Pol. While the palace of mirrors, Sheesh Mahal with walls inlaid with exquisite mirrors still takes every first time visitor's breath away. The Jas Mandir, perched on the upper floor, has a superb combination of Mughal and Rajput style of architecture, as is evident from the exquisitely carved Jali screens (Jharokhas), and fine mirror and stucco work. The reflection of the fort in the Maotha Lake is truly spectacular. Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur Nahargarh or the Tiger fort is the first of the three forts built by the kings of Jaipur. Built mainly in 1734 by Jai Singh II, it lies 6 km north west of city Palace and provides some stunning views of Jaipur down below to the Man Sagar Lake. The imposing fort harbors many legends and three kings have added their stamp at different times to the structures within the fort. In the midst of this lake, is a palatial duck blind, which was used for shooting parties by the erstwhile royal family. A royal retreat for the Maharanis, it was also used as a personal treasury for many years.

Gwalior Fort, Gwalior This fort is situated at Gopachal, nearly 100m above the town of Gwalior. It’s width ranges from nearly 1km, to less than 200m. The walls, which encircle the fort, are solid and nearly 10m high. In places the cliff overhangs and elsewhere it has been clipped to make it steep and hence unscalable. It earned the reputation of being North and Central India’s most impregnable fort. Babur described the fort as, "The pearl amongst fortresses in India".The fort also enjoys the advantage of an unlimited water supply, as there are many water tanks on the plateau.

Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri is now a World Heritage site. The Panch Mahal , or Palace of Five Storeys, and the Buland Darwaza, a massive gate which provides entrance to the complex, number among the finest specimens of Mughal architecture, and it is even arguable that Fatehpur Sikri is the greatest accomplishment of Mughal architecture, surpassed only in reputation but not in its beauty and the awe it inspires by the Taj Mahal. The cultural politics of the site remains to be written: perhaps the mammoth chess board, where human figures were used as chess pieces and moved at the emperor's will, provides a cue. Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur Also known as the fort of victory, Jaigarh Fort is a rugged structure built in 1726 by Sawai Jai Singh. It was the royal treasury for several years. The fort is perched on a cliff and is surrounded by huge battlements with inside walkways offering stunning views on all sides. The World's largest cannon on wheel, Jaivan, is to be found here. Also of interest is the intricate water supply and storage system, which is considered a marvel of planning. The fort has its museum and provides some excellent view of Amber Fort. Situated in the north of Jaipur, the Jaigarh Fort has more or less same structure as of Amber Fort. The fort also houses a beautiful museum and gives breathtaking views of Jaipur below and Amber Fort.

Red Fort, Delhi Red Fort or lal qila as it is more popularly known is a masterpiece of architecture and one of the most haunting spots for tourists from both India and abroad.Before the mutiny of 1857, the fort presented an altogether different picture from what it presents today because only about one-fourth of the imposing structure is accessible to visitors with the rest of the area being under the control of the Indian Army, which continues the occupation begun after the uprising of 1857 was suppressed.In 1858, a large number of palaces in the fort were demolished, many of the taikhanas ( basement rooms) sealed and massive barracks constructed for the soldiers.

Golconda Fort, Hyderabad
Before the city of Hyderabad was founded the Deccan was ruled from Golconda fort. Founded originally by the Kakatiya's in the 13th century the existing structure was expanded by the Qutub Shahi kings into a massive fort with granite walls and ramparts extending some 5 km in circumference. The fortress city within the walls was famous for the diamond trade and Ko-hi-noor diamond is said to have come from here. This historic Golconda fort lies 11 kms west of the city. The name originates from the telugu words "Golla" and "Konda" - 'shepard's hill'. Later the fort was taken over by the Bhaamani kings, subsequently passing to the Qutub Shahi kings rebuilt Golconda over a span of 62 years.

Palaces

City Palace, Jaipur
Located in the capital of Rajasthan, the City Palace of Jaipur or the main palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs, additions have been made to the palace complex by many of his successors. he complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur Constructed in 1799, Hawa Mahal is the most sensational monument in the city of Jaipur. The palace, overlooks one of Jaipur's main streets and was originally constructed to offer women of the court an upper hand, so that they can watch the activities taking place in the bazaar and the surrounding streets behind stone-carved screens. For this purpose, it was designed with over 900 niches, and the entire building is shaped like a crown adorning Lord Krishna's head.The site offers superb views of the city, including the many old palaces and houses which were painted ocher-pink for the 1853 visit of Prince Albert.

This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure is made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs, beautifully modeled and carved. There is a total lack of ornamentation on the inner face of the building. The chambers are plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top storey.

Mysore Palace, Mysore
This palace was designed for the Maharaja of Mysore by a British architect and built in 1897. The decorations inside are outrageously extravagant, proving how rich the Maharaja was at this time. The Mysore Palace, built is Indo-Saracenic style with domes turrets, arches and colonnades, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. The tastefully decorated and inticrately carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms.The palace has now been converted into a museum, which treasures the souvenirs, paintings, jewellery, royal costumes and other items, which were once possessed by the Wodeyars. It is said that the palace displays the largest collection of gold items, quantity wise. The Durbar hall of the palace has an ornate ceiling and many sculpture pillars which are said to have been painted with gold.

Lake Palace, Udaipur The Lake Palace Hotel Udaipur is in fact a white marble palace that seems to float miraculously on the still waters of Lake Pichola.The Lake palace was built in the 17th century on a natural foundation of 4 acers of rock. It was initially called Jaginwas after its founder Maharana Jagjit Singh . The Maharana, ruler of Jaipur from 1628 to 1654, was very friendly with Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and encouraged his craftsmen to copy some of the glories of his incomparable buildings at Agra. The successive rulers used this cool haven as their summer resort, holding their regal durbars in its courtyards.

These courtyards lined with columns, pillared terraces, fountains and gardens all add to its impressive image. The rooms are decorated with cusped arches, inland stones of pink, and green lotus leaves and painted mirrors.

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Built somewhere between 1929 and 1942, the Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel in Jodhpur is a fabulous example of the Indo-Colonial and the art-deco style of the thirties. Maharaja Umaid Singh's Palace at Jodhpur is one of the largest and grandest private residences of the world.
Umaid Bhawan Palace took 14 years and 3000 men to give shape to this stupendous expression. The Palace was designed as a smooth combination of European classical elements interlaced with oriental ones. Massive sandstone boulders were cut from a quarry at Surasagar near Jodhpur and transported by a special narrow-gauge train to the construction sites. Master masons chiselled these rough stones into blocks of five and seven tons. The blocks were then fitted in an interlocking fashion with no mortar or cement being used in the construction .

Lalgarh Palace, Bikaner
The most perfect example of a Rajput Palace, lalgarh palace was built at the turn of the century and is a sprawling red sandstone residence with separate wings, one of which is occupied by members of the royal family while another wing forms a museum.Designed by a Britisher for Maharaja Ganga Singh, this palace displays a magnificent blend of Oriental and European style. The terraced lawns and the Bougainvillea bushes add beauty to the palace. Peacocks stroll around the palace, which has been partly converted into a hotel.