Meharangarh Fort in Rajasthan

LOCATION:

Mehrangah Fort is situated in Jodhpur city of Rajasthan, located in the north-west part of the country. It is one of the most gigantic forts of the country, the strong bulwark of the fort with heavy gates, high and thick walls enclosing the royal residence.

HISTORY:

The fifteenth Rathore Ruler of Jodhpur, Rao Jodha, was advised to shift his base to a safer place, just an year after his accession to the throne in the 15th century. He searched for a strategically guarded destination at the Bahuchera hill, which was around 400 ft above the city of Jodhpur. This place made the fort a safe haven for the King as the attackers could be easily tracked from the hill-top.

It is believed that a hermit who used to stay on the hill was displaced due the construction of the fort, and he cursed the fort to be devoid of water. But later, the hermit was given a comfortable place to stay, by the King himself, where he stayed lifelong.

Though the fort was built for King Rao Jodha but the fort that we see today, is largely a contribution of King Jaswant Singh Rao (1638-1678). The fort's architecture, the palaces, the huge gates and the massive walls, the hints of battles, all create a scene of Jodhpur's history.

ARCHITECTURE:

Influence of the Rajput and Mughal architecture can be clearly seen in the architecture of the fort, which is abundant in its royal decorations and pompous ambience. The gigantic courtyands, palatial rooms, arcades, silver-lined fans, screened walls and floor pillows, make it a posh residency. The protective element in the architecture, with the high and thick walls, which simply seem to be invincible by the enemies, and the gigantic gates, clearly achieves the purpose for which the fort was built.


MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

Fort Museum:

The fort museum has a rich collection of colorful palanquins, arms, paintings, costumes etc that takes us back to the royal era and helps us revive the grandeur of the royal past.

Fort Art Gallery:

The Mehrangarh Fort gallery is a safe archive of umpteen artifacts that take us back to the era of the Maharajas of Rajasthan. The most important of the treasures include the silver howdas or elephant seat of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, exquisite variety of vivid palanquins and pinjas or the covered palanquins.

The Daulat Khana Galary preserves the collection of that era when the Rathores had close connections with the Mughals. Arms, marwar paintings, manuscripts, a variety of headgears or tubans are some of the items on display here.

The Folk Musical Instruments Gallery showcases the various traditional and folk musical instruments that were used by various communities.

Phool Mahal:

Phool Mahal or the Palace of Flowers is known to be the pleasure hall for the royal King where he used to watch dance performances. The hall is decorated with gold brought from Ahmedabad, Gujarat and several beautiful portraits and paintings.

Jhanki Mahal:

The palace was meant for the royal womenfolk to watch the proceedings and the celebrations taking place near the fort, from the various windows. The palace is decorated with pretty carvings of elephants, fairies and birds.

Moti Mahal:

Moti Mahal or the Pearl Palace was constructed by Raja Sur Singh. It was the place where the King used to have his official meetings, as he sat on the Shringar Chowki , which was the royal throne of Jodhpur.

Sheesh Mahal:

Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors is decorated with intricate inlay work of mirrors, as the name suggests.

NEARBY SIGHTSEEING:

Umaid Bhavan Palace:

Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, this stunning monument in the heart of Jodhpur, is made up of Chittar sandstone, which is a special kind of sandstone, that gives it a blooming pink color. The lavish halls, princely courtyards and the ritzy lawns, make it a palace of the fantasy-land. Around three thousand workers meticulously worked for fifteen years to build the edifice of perfection.

Jaswant Thada:

The palace made up of thin polished white marbles is built in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II in 1899 AD. The monument has a sparkling glow in the morning sun.