India is a land full of ancient forts and monuments that describe its deep past. Two of the forts in India are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Agra Fort and Red Fort. The forts and palaces of India are the treasures of the country, because they are a manifestation of the magnanimity of the Royal Kingdoms of India.
Types of ancient Indian forts are Jal durg, Giridurg and Vana durg. The Qila Mubarak is a historical monument in Bathinda and is the oldest surviving fort in India. There are a number of famous forts in India, while Rajasthan and Maharashtra have the highest number of forts; Some of the major forts in India are Hari Parbat Fort, Rohtasgarh Fort, Bekal Fort and Uparkot Fort.
Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur
The Great Mehrangarh Fort is located in Jodhpur, a city in Rajasthan. It is over 500 years old and is one of the largest forts in India. The Mehrangarh Fort is located 400m from the city and was founded by RaoJodha. There are seven gates built by each Maharaja on the occasion of his victory; one gate is called Jayapol and was built by Maharaja Man Singh.
Inside the fort, there are several brilliantly crafted and decorated palaces like MotiMahal, SheeshaMahal, etc. The Chamunda Devi Temple and Museum is situated inside the Mehrangarh Fort. The Mehrangarh Fort Museum is one of the most well-stocked museums in Rajasthan. The Royal State of Rajasthan (Royal State Rajasthan) is wonderful for many reasons, in fact it is one of the most visited tourist sites in India. Rajasthan is also famous for its vast Thar desert, beautiful lakes, national parks and attractive lifestyle.
Red Fort – Delhi
Lal Quila or the Red Fort is the most important historical building in India and is located in Delhi. The most famous monuments in Delhi were built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This monument is called Red Fort thanks to the thick red sandstone walls. There are important buildings and other structures within the forts, for example a mosque known as MotiMasjid, Diwan-i-Aametcetera
The fort is located along the “holy river of India”, the Yamuna River. There is an archaeological museum and an Indian war museum inside the fort. This is the most powerful symbol of the sovereignty of India, in fact the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation and flies the flag of India on the Day of Independence and the Republic of India.
Gwalior Fort – Gwalior
Gwalior Fort is a fantastic historical monument situated in Madhya Pradesh built by Rana Man Singh Tomar. This magnificent monument is an exemplar of the marvelous ancient architecture of India. The biggest attractions of Gwalior Fort are the famous Sas-Bahu temple, the Gujari Mahal which is now a museum and The Man Mandir.
This majestic monument is one of the largest forts in India and therefore a postage stamp has been issued to remember the importance of this fort. Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in India for its marvelous ancient Indian architecture.
Golconda Fort – Hyderabad
The famous Golconda Fort is located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and was built by the Kakatiya kings. The heritage
monument is known for its rich history and for its majestic and imposing grand structure. Golkonda was known for the magnificent diamonds found in the southeastern Kollur mine near Lake Kollur.
The impressive Golconda Fort is famous for its military architecture and is one of the most wonderful monuments in India. Golconda Fort is one of the Seven Wonders of Hyderabad; the others are Charminar, Birla Mandir, Ramoji Film City, sagarHussain, salarjung museum and MeccaMasjid, the largest mosque in Hyderabad.
Jaisalmer Fort – Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer Fort, one of the largest forts in the world, is situated in the state of Rajasthan and was built by Rawal Jaisal. The magnificent foundation of the Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the middle of the sandy terrain of the Great Thar Desert. This fort, also known as “Sonar quila” and “Golden Fort”, was built on the triangular hill of Trikuta, 76 meters above the city.
It is the second oldest fort in the state of Rajasthan and is considered as one of the most invincible forts in India. The main attractions inside the forts are the Jain temples, the royal palace and the big gates. Jaisalmer is the land of sand also famous for Trikuta Hill, Havelis, the palace and lakes.
Red Fort – Agra
It is the most important fort in India and is located in Agrauttar Pradesh, 2 kilometers away from its sister monument, “The TajMahal”. Sikandar Lodi was the first sultan of Delhi who moved to Agra and lived in the fort. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River.
Agra Fort, also known as Agra Red Fort, is one of the best tourist spots in Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi Fort is another wonderful fort architecture of India. This fort was a residence of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, situated in Uttar Pradesh.
Kangra Fort – Kangra
The famous Kangra Fort was built by the Kangra royal family and is situated at the confluence of the Banganga and Manjhi rivers in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The famous monumental fortress is one of the oldest fortresses in the world and the oldest in India, it is also the largest fortress in the Himalayas.
The most valuable monument in the Kangra Fort is the Vajreshwari temple. The most beautiful way to look at Kangra Fort is from the road during the drive. The famous monumental attractions of Himachal Pradesh are very close to the famous Dharamsala.
Chittorgarh Fort – Chittorgarh
Chittaurgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and the largest in the state of Rajasthan. It is situated on the left bank of the Berach River. It is also called Water Fortress. The fort had 84 bodies of water inside, of which only about 22 exist today. This living testimony represents the bravery of Maharana Pratap Singh and the great Rajput rulers of Rajasthan.
Panhala Fort – Kolhapur
Panhala Fort is the largest and most important fort in Maharashtra, situated in the Sahyadri range near Kolhapur. The structures of the Panhala fort are representative of the great Maratha Empire. Most of the forts in Maharashtra are associated with Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior.
Srirangapatnam Fort – Karnataka
Srirangapatnam Fort is the famous fort in Karnataka, situated near the holy river Kaveri. Srirangapatnam Fort, or TipuSultan’s palace, is one of the prominent monuments in Karnataka. Other attractions include a mosque called “JummaMasjid”, the Daria Daulat Gardens, the Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary and the TipuSultan Mausoleum.
The forts and palaces of Karnataka form an indelible part of Karnataka tourism. Visiting Karnataka without seeing its forts is an incomplete tour because they are the best attractions in Karnataka. Another famous fort is Belgaum, one of the oldest monuments in Karnataka.
Gingee Fort – Tamil Nadu
Gingee Fort is a surviving fort in Tamil Nadu and is listed as the most impregnable fortress in India. This fort is a major tourist destination in the Villupuram district.
Amer Fort – Rajasthan
The Amer Fort is situated in the Aravalli Hills near the capital of Jaipur and is the main tourist attraction in Rajasthan.
Raigad Fort – Maharashtra
Maharashtra’s Raigad Fort sits atop the Sahyadri range and is one of the absolutely must see places, built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj where he was crowned the King of a Maratha Kingdom.
Pratapgad Fort – Maharashtra
Pratapgad or Valor Fort is now a very popular tourist site near Pune, situated 23 km from Mahabaleshwar. The fort is also found on many hiking trails in the area and is one of the large forts located in the Satara district.
There are a number of forts in Maharashtra famous for trekking such as Purandhar Fort, Bahadurgad Fort, Ahmednagar Fort and Ra
tnagarh Fort. Murud is a city famous for the impregnable fort of Janjira and for its beautiful beach; Janjira is the sea fort located in the coastal town of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.
Kumbhalgarh Fort – Rajasthan
Kumbhalgarh Fort in the state of Rajasthan is now part of the World Heritage Site, “Hill Forts of Rajasthan” and is also the site of the second largest wall complex in the world. One of the most important forts in Rajasthan hosts the biggest Rajput festival called “JauharMela”. The most valuable monuments of the Chittaurgarh Fort are the Gaumukh Reservoir, Vijay Stambha and the Rana Kumbha Palace. Rajasthan has many famous forts and palaces like Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Taragarh Fort.
Other lesser known forts in India that have fascinating histories:
Alwar Fort, Rajasthan• Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan• Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan• Khandar Fort, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan• Prabalgad Fort, Maharashtra• Karnala Fort, Panvel, Maharashtra• Lohagad Fort, Khandala, Maharashtra• Shivneri Fort, Pune, Maharashtra• Tikona Fort, Lonavala, Maharashtra• Rajgad Fort, Pune, Maharashtra• Murud-Janjira Fort, Raigad, Maharashtra• Visapur Fort, Maharashtra• Purandar Fort, Pune, Maharashtra• Ranjankudi Fort, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu• Sankagiri Fort, Tamil Nadu• Thirumayam Fort, Pudukkotai, Tamil Nadu• Namakkal Fort, Tamil Nadu• Vellore Fort, Tamil Nadu• Rock Fort, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu• Ahilya Fort, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh• Narwar Fort, Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh• Asirgarh Fort, Madhya Pradesh• Raisen Fort, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh• Basavakalyana Fort, Karntaka• Palakkad Fort, Kerala• Ramagiri Fort, Uttar Pradesh•Tughlaqabad Fort, Delhi• Barabati Fort, Odisha• Chiktan Fort, Jammu and Kashmir• Dhandidhar Fort, Jammu and Kashmir• Qila Mubarak Fort,
Punjab These forts were important in the medieval history of India and today the Archaeological Survey Of India has numerous forts listed as heritage monuments.