Have you heard of the Gagron fort in Rajasthan? It’s quite likely that you haven’t. Likewise, I was not much aware of this fort until I listed down all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India for myself. I wanted to check how many I had visited till then, and surprisingly, this one was missing! I have been living in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi since last seventeen years. So, it was indeed a big surprise that I never heard anyone talking about this. Having visited this wonderful fort last year, I feel like bringing this to the readers of our blog through this article- “Gagron fort deserves better as a tourist destination”.
Have you heard of another such heritage fort in Maheshwar in central India? Click here to read: Maheshwar.
Gagron Fort's Tumultuous History
The magnificent fort of Gagron is situated near Jhalawar town in Rajasthan, very close to the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Thus, geographically it’s more a part of central India than western India.
Though there is little proof of the exact date of construction of the fort, most probably it began in the 7th century. However, it got its first shape in the current form in the 12th century when king Bijaldev of Parmar dynasty adorned the thrones. (Read about another such 12th century monument: Hauz Khas)
Of the 12 battles that Gagron fort has seen, two remain the most somber memories when hundreds of women including those from the royal family had committed Jauhar (mass self-immolation). First in 1423, when the then king Achal Singh Khinchi had fought valiantly to die on the battlefield against Hoshang Shah, the king of Malwa. Respecting the valour of king Achal Singh, Hoshang Shah didn’t even touch his palace and bed room for long.
However, in fear of being caught and losing their dignity, hundreds of women had jumped into a large fire-tank. One can see the remains of that tank in the fort complex even today. History repeated in 1444 when Mahmud Khilji-I attacked Gagron, and again hundreds of women chose to immolate themselves.
The practice of Jauhar:
‘Jauhar‘ (or, zohar) or mass self-immolation was a practice among women in the Hindu kingdoms of India (especially in Rajasthan) in the medieval times to safeguard themselves against invading Armies, especially of Muslim rulers. It generally happened on the face of certain defeat. In those days, it was common for Armies to engage in mass rapes and molestation of women after winning wars. So, women considered dying better than losing their dignity.
However, it’s quite different from the practice of ‘sati‘, in which a woman chose to (or, forced to) self-immolate on the funeral pyre of her dead husband.
It’s a controversial topic- whether it should be socially hailed as bravery or criticized. In my view it’s a false sense of honour. It was a sort of social honour killing. Much like the sati practice, there must have been a tremendous social bias and conditioning involved in the practice of jauhar. The concepts of dignity and honour are largely influenced by patriarchal norms. Good that both these practices were abolished long ago.
UNESCO World Heritage Site:
UNESCO designated Gagron Fort, the only hills-and-water fort in Rajasthan as a World Heritage Site in 2013 as part of the six “Hill forts of Rajasthan“. The other five forts are in Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Jaisalmer, all magnificent ones. I am happy that I have seen them all, and will write separate blog posts sometime later. Unfortunately, of all these magnificent hill forts, Gagron fort is the least popular as a tourist destination.
More such readings on UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Khajuraho | Stonehenge
Kota, the transit point
Umed Bhawan Palace in Kota:
We have a handloom promotion project in Kota for which I sometimes visit there. Last time (Feb 2022), as the visit coincided with a Sunday, I had thought of visiting the nearby Gagron fort. I reached Kota by an evening train from Delhi; my friendly colleagues were there to pick me up from the station. But more importantly, they had booked a room for me at one of the finest heritage hotels in Rajasthan- the Welcome Heritage Umed Bhawan Palace in Kota. It’s a majestic hotel with a lovely green campus. I fondly remember coming across a wild antelope on one of my after-dinner walks in the campus.
(Note: There is another Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, a much bigger palace.)
The palace was commissioned by Maharaja Umaid Singh- II of Kota in 1905. The chief architect Sir Swinton Jacob had built the palace in Indo-Saracenic architectural style (a blend of Rajput and Victorian architectural styles). I loved its pink sandstone outer structure and the lovely rich interiors. As much as I love heritage hotels, it was a pleasant surprise to discover their amazing affordability! I would call it affordable luxury; not very often I get to stay at such heritage hotels! Heritage hotels like this take one back in time, and experience a slice of royalty of yesteryears.
Here is an interesting article on: “How your lodging choice makes a difference“.
A road trip to Gagron Fort
After two days of good official engagements, I convinced my colleagues to visit a tourist destination- Gagron fort on Sunday. In fact my colleagues were first clueless about the fort, but they trusted my information. Gagron fort is about 95 kms from Kota, and less than 10 kms from the town of Jhalawar.
We started off by a car around 8 AM and reached Gagron fort by 10.30 AM with some difficulty in locating the place. After spending about 3-4 hours exploring the fort and the surrounding places, we drove back to reach Kota by 4 PM. So, it was an easy day trip from Kota.
First impression: No takers!
We found it really hard to reach the site. It was clearly evident that very few people visited the fort. The road leading to the site didn’t seem to be well travelled, and there was no proper road-marks! Google maps helped a lot, but at certain points it was confusing, and even the locals were not too sure!
When we reached at the main gate of the fort, there was literally no one there, and we had to double check with the guards if we were at the right place! But it was good to see that the guards seemed to be pretty much excited to welcome us in.
It is such a pity that hardly anyone visits this tourist destination, even though Gagron fort is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Gagron Fort: majestic but underrated tourist destination
Great location:
Though there are quite a few hill forts in Rajasthan, it’s the only one surrounded by water. The fort is situated at the confluence of two rivers- Ahu and Kali Sindh; so, they surround the fort on three sides. Once upon a time, there was a moat covering the fourth side, though we couldn’t notice any. The scenic setting is complete with a backdrop of the Mukundara hills in the Vindhya mountain range. The confluence looked serene and grand from a particular view point in the fort.
Cross the Kali Sindh river over a culvert to the other side, and you would get an amazing panoramic view of the fort perched over the hills. We met some picnickers on the river bank enjoying a lazy day.
Design and layout of the fort:
The fort was completely designed for battles with defensive and attacking features from vantage points. Water on all sides of the fort meant difficulty leading armies to the fort, and on the other hand, soldiers in the fort had vantage points to fire at the advancing armies.
Would you believe that the fort doesn’t have a foundation to stand on! It actually stands on the natural rocky terrain of the hill. Perhaps it’s the only fort that doesn’t have a foundation. Do you know of any other? Please let me know in the comments section.
The palaces, temples and other structures within the fort are quite spread out, almost 4 sq. kms.; so, it takes quite a while to explore. Actually, one would need a vehicle to move around from point to point. We had a car with us, so we could easily cover the whole fort campus in about 3-4 hours.
Gateways:
Not far from the entry gate, there is this huge gateway called Ganesh Pol. Other gateways include: Bhairav Pol, Krishna Dwar, Suraj Pol.
Zohar Kund:
The first thing I noticed just a few steps on the other side of the Ganesh Pol was the huge “Zohar Kund” (Immolation tank) where all those women had to commit mass self-immolation in 1423 and 1444. Though the tank is now engulfed by unruly vegetation, a thought of those women filled me with some sadness.
The palace and important buildings:
The main palace in the fort campus is called the Bada Mahal. It’s not as rich in architecture as the other forts of Rajasthan, but is still quite impressive. Some other important buildings in the campus are: Barud-khana, Saleh-khana, Dari-khana, Rang Mahal, Sish Mahal, Diwan-e-khas, Diwan-e-aam, Nakkar-khana and Janana Mahal.
Temples and mosque in the fort campus:
There are some small temples in the campus- Madhusudan temple, Dwarkadheesh (Srikrishna) temple, Hanuman temple, Asapala temple, Madanmohan temple, Shiva temple, Durga temple and Ganesha temple. On one side of the fort, there is a dargah (of Khwaja Hamid Uddin Chisti or, Mithe shah) and a mosque. One enters the dargah through a large gate- Buland Darwaza.
When the bees stung the shit out of me!
There is an old step-well in the fort campus. After some searching, we found that out. Trees and bushes had completely covered the well, and we noticed some honey bees swarming around. Though we were careful to not disturb the bees or make them feel threatened, maybe somehow, my arm hit one or two of them. Then before I realized what was happening, one after another bee started attacking me from all sides!
That was the first time I had a first-hand horrifying experience of a bee-attack. Some of them stung me quietly, and just stuck to my neck and face. Some other stuck their stingers in my arms and back. Because I was wearing a winter jacket, I just escaped the full force of the attack. Seeing me in such a bad condition, my colleagues helped me get rid of the bees. Then all of us started running from the site towards our car. But they would not leave us; they actually followed our car at least a kilometer!
Do you know that honey bees die after stinging? Click here to know more.
It was not painful in the beginning, but slowly started paining sharply. I realized that they had left their stingers inside my skin, and the skin started swelling right under my eyes and earlobes. Some prior knowledge helped me a bit though. I slowly kept squeezing the stinging-spots and got the stingers out of my skin along with the pus. The swelling remained for a few days, but luckily I didn’t need medical attention.
Reflections on the way back
On the way back, we came across a nomadic community, migrating from one place to another with all their belongings in a camel caravan. It was an interesting reflection on our diverse society. On one hand, India harbours the dreams of becoming the next super power in the world having some of the richest billionaires in the world. And on the other, primitive communities still live such a difficult nomadic life!
There are quite a few nomadic tribes in Rajasthan, e.g. Baldias, Jogi Kalbelia, Pardhis, Ghisadis, Domabaris, etc. I’m not sure which community this group belonged to. But they generally are pastoralists, or blacksmiths. They set up their meagre accommodations on some village common properties, stay there for some time as long as they have enough livelihoods there. And then move on to another place in search of livelihoods!
Gagron Fort tourist destination: Travel Tips
Best time to visit: Winter-Spring months of November to March are the best months to visit Gagron fort tourist destination. Summer can be really hot!
How to reach: Jhalawar is the nearest town, and the nearest railway station to Gagron fort tourist destination. Regular train and bus services are available from nearby cities of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Kota (2 hrs away) is a major railway junction; one can use Kota as a transit point. Regular local buses are available from Kota. However, it’s better to take a taxi.
Where to stay: Hotel Krishna Palace | Indraprastha Residency | Man Singh hotel | Hotel Kiran | Hotel Jai Palace. If you are staying in Kota, look for Welcome Heritage Umed Bhawan Palace (see details above).
How to move around: Having your own car/ taxi is the best way to move around in the fort campus.
Gagron fort deserves better as a tourist destination
Gagron fort boasts of a few distinctions:
- It’s the only water and hills fort;
- the only fort without a foundation;
- a fort with some intriguing history.
Yet, it’s one of the least visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Locating Gagron fort tourist destination is difficult. There is hardly any facilities or conveniences at the site, not even a food stall. If one is not driving, it’s difficult to cover the fort by foot, and yet, there is no vehicle to offer services.
Why is the fort so underrated?
I think the answer lies in lack of convenience. Gagron fort is a one-off tourist destination in that region, and Jhalawar is not particularly an exciting town otherwise. Besides, tourists have a number of better options to explore in south Rajasthan. More tourists would perhaps be visiting it had it been close to a major city like Udaipur or Jaipur where people have more reasons to go. People generally tend to underrate such one-off destinations.
However, if you are a keen traveller, make it a point to visit the fort at least once. It’s close to Kota and Bundi; so club it together with these two places, and you have a great circuit to explore in 3-4 days. There is an impressive canyon (near Garadia Mahadev) on Chambal river near Kota, and a great fort (Taragarh)/ palace in Bundi. Maybe sometime later, I’ll write a travel plan on this interesting 3-4 days trip.
Gagron Fort deserves better:
In spite of being a lonely destination, more tourists will visit if there are better facilities and conveniences. However, it can all start with flow of more information and awareness. This article is an effort in that direction. But many more such efforts need to pour in from travellers, on social media and through word-of-mouth. Please do share this article among your friends and fellow travellers. Gagron Fort definitely deserves better as a tourist destination.
Do write to us:
- Did you like the article? If yes, do write to us, or share your experiences of such other destinations.
- Wanna know more? Please reach out to us; we will happily share more information.
Omveer singh Pundhir
The visit to Gangrol fort is very memorable to see the caretaker of the fort by honey bee”
stampedmoments
That trip indeed is memorable. Thanks Omveer!
Mahendra
Yes, it was a wonderful to visit the heritage place with the BOSS. Refreshed my memory I had otherwise forgotten. It’s beautifully written in simple language. Thoroughly enjoyed reading and learned a bit of its history.
Written on detail. Lovely piece!!!
stampedmoments
An enjoyable day on the work-trip.
Much more to come! Thanks a lot for the feedback.
Soumen Chatterjee
1st of all the starting line is very well written. UNESCO designated Gagron Fort, the only hills-and-water fort in Rajasthan as a World Heritage Site in 2013 as part of the six “Hill forts of Rajasthan“.
I have visited Umed Bhawan Palace hotel at Kota during my intensive visit to the craft cluster with my previous organisation.Its really a wonderful place.
Coming back to Gagron Fort it really saddens me to read that though it’s a UNESCO heritage site but people are not aware about the place. The majestic Gagron fort is situated at the confluence of two rivers- Ahu and Kali Sindh; so, they surround the fort on three sides.
Regarding the design and layout, the fort was completely designed for battles with defensive and attacking features from vantage points. Water on all sides of the fort meant difficulty leading armies to the fort, and on the other hand, soldiers in the fort had vantage points to fire at the advancing armies.
Zohar Kund:Immolation tank where all those women had to commit mass self-immolation in 1423 and 1444. Though the tank is now engulfed by unruly vegetation. And it really sadden to know what wrath the women faced.
Next is palace and building are quite impressive though not quite rich in architecture.Some other important buildings in the campus are: Barud-khana, Saleh-khana, Dari-khana, Rang Mahal, Sish Mahal, Diwan-e-khas, Diwan-e-aam, Nakkar-khana and Janana Mahal.
My god, its really worry some to know about the bee stings and it’s really painful but thank God u excaped.
I think the fort needs more attention and by reading your blog people will start visiting.
stampedmoments
Yeah, popularity depends on convenience to a large extent. If it was located close to a major city, it would have been much popular among tourists.
I hope I have contributed a bit by writing about it. Thanks Soumen, as always.
Nayan Kakati
Very impressive detailing of the The majestic Gagron Fort!
The article have the power to draw the attraction of traveler & researcher.
stampedmoments
Thanks Nayan for reading, and for your encouraging feedback.
Nancy Lessnick
WOW!!!
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot!