Kangra Fort, Kangra
Kangra
Fort
An important monument of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra fort is located at a
distance of 17 km from Dharamsala. This massive fort, remained as a
great attraction to conquer and to add up in their regime. Today it is
one of the major source of attractions in the Kangra Valley, visited by
a huge number of tourists from all over the world. The fort is famous
for its century old paintings, temples, palaces and museum. Situated
amidst lush green forests and gushing rivers, the fort is considered as
a popular tourist destination of Himachal Pradesh.
History Unfold - Kangra Fort
The ancient fort of
Kangra was
constructed by Raja Bhumi Chand, founder of Katoch Dynasty. Situated at
a height of 350 feet above sea - level, the fort of Kangra had been the
center of attraction for the rulers of Northern India. The legend says
that the fort witnesses many attacks by the invaders over the period of
time. The first attack was made by the King of Kashmir 'Shreshtha' in
470 A.D, and finally In 1846 Kangra fort fell into the hands of the
British Empire. The King of Katoch Dynasty held court here for almost 25
years. Today, Kangra fort remains as a monument of Kangra Valley that
attracts huge number of tourists for its huge art galleries and museum.
Architecture
The Kangra fort is a blend of medieval and ancient form of
architecture, that can be well depicted every where inside the fort. The
fort is spread over a large area and is guarded by high ramparts and the
massive wall. The huge gates, the typical of medieval architecture,
showcases the name of their conquerors who captured the fort from time
to time. The outer structure of the fort was built using
black-sandstone, the remains of which could be still found out in the
fort premises.
Inside The Fort
There are famous monuments like temples, museums and palaces located on
the turf of Kangra Fort, which displays state of the art paintings and
sculptures. The temple of Lakshmi Narayan and Sitala is considered as
one of the valuable monuments, located in the courtyard of Kangra Fort.
Adorned with beautiful carvings and design, the ceilings of the Lakshmi
Narayan temple is uniquely decorated with vibrant color and patterns.
Apart from these, a famous Jain temple is also located in the vicinity
of Kangra fort dedicated to Adinath. A large number of Jain pilgrim
visit this place, which is also considered as a Tirtha (sacred place) to
get blessings from their Adi Guru. Besides, the museum in the Kangra
Fort houses miniature paintings, which is a blend of Mughal and Katoch
style of art. About forty thousand of these paintings are preserved in
temples, palaces and in museums at
Chamba,
Chandigarh and Delhi. The fort remained neglected during the British
period but now the Archaeological Department of India maintains this
monuments. The fort is still an attraction to the tourists and pilgrims
visiting Kangra.
How To Reach
Kangra fort is easily accessible from
Kangra
(6 km),
Dharamsala (17 km),
McLeodganj (27 km) and other
cities of Himachal Pradesh via road. From all these places, private
taxis and state transport buses are available. Tourists can hire taxis
at reasonable cost from the major intersection of the city. Generally
taxi rates are fixed by the taxi trade union and does not require
further bargaining.
