Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh is a historic fort located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. It stands on a hilltop, rising about 122 m (400 ft) above the surrounding plains, and the complex spans 1,200 acres (486 hectares). It was initially built around 1459 by the Rajput ruler of Rathore clan Rao Jodha, though most of the existing structure is from the 17th century built by his successors. The fort has seven gates, including the main entrance, Jai Pol (meaning 'victory gate'), built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over the Jaipur and Bikaner armies in 1806. The Fattehpol (lit. 'victory gate'), commemorates victory of Maharaja Ajit Singh over the Mughals. The English writer and Nobel Prize winner, Rudyard Kipling, described the fort as "a palace that might have been built by Titans and colored by the morning sun."

Within its boundaries are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards, a Chamunda Mataji Temple, as well as a museum that houses various relics. A winding road leads to and from the city below. The imprints of the impact of cannonballs fired by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. At the north-east of the fort is the chhatri of Kirat Singh Sodha, a soldier who fell on the spot defending Mehrangarh.

Some of the notable festivals taking place here include the World Sacred Spirit Festival and Rajasthan International Folk Festival.

Text adapted from “Mehrangarh” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Mehrangarh Fort ranks #247 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #10 of the 172 mapped in India. Founded c. 1459, it is older than 48% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 434 atlas entries founded in the 15th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 16,218 times in the last 60 days, more than 96% of the atlas. It is one of the 25 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of Rajasthan. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗