Rajasthan, India is the ideal place for the globetrotters where they can find the treasures which unfold the history of the glorious India that is the amalgamation of rich architecture and proud account of Indian royals. One of the remarkable and finest examples of Rajasthan’s jewels is Mehrangarh Fort, based in Jodhpur city of Rajasthan, India. The history of Mehrangarh fort is dated from 1459 as it is believed that the fort is built around the year 1459 by one of the Jodhpur Royal families, Rao Jodha, the chief person of the Rathore Dynasty.
History:
Rao Jodha being an expert and experienced king, decided to move his capital from Mandore, Jodhpur to a safer place as he believed that the thousand years old Mandore Fort had become weaker in terms of security and could no longer sustain and he considered Mehrangarh as the safe place for the Royal Family. So he shifted his capital to Mehrangarh and built this renowned fort which was previously known as Bhakurcheeria, literally meaning the Mountain of Birds. There is a popular story of Cheeria Nathji and Shri Karni Mata, the female warrior sage of Rajasthan, behind this establishment.
There was a bizarre custom among this royal Rathore clan and that was to bury anyone alive in the proposed land, which was considered as the auspicious one. So, following the tradition, Rao Jodha also buried Raja Ram Meghwal, a person from the Meghwal caste to ensure this place to be fortunate and providential. And surprisingly Raja Ram Meghwal sacrificed himself willingly. In return, the family of Raja Ram was promised to stay under the secure umbrella of the Rathore dynasty. And the Rathore family never failed to keep this promise. Even today, this Meghwal family lives in Raj Bagh, “Raja Ram Meghwal’s” Garden.
Significance of the Name:
Primarily this Mehrangarh was known as Mihirgarh and later on changed its name to Mehrangarh. Mihirgarh literally means the Fort of Sun or Sun-Fort as etymologically in Sanskrit Mihir means Sun and Garh mean Fort. Thus Mehrangarh emerged as the Sun-Fort. Additionally, Sun-God is the principal deity (Kul Devta) of the Rathore clan. Historically this fort stands from the year 1459, but the remaining that we perceive today is dated from the 17th century onwards, from the time of King Jaswant Singh of Marwar.
Location:
This huge fort is positioned 410 feet (125 m) above the city and is guarded by heavy and powerful walls. The walls of the fort are as high as 118 feet (36 m) and massively thick as 69 feet (21 m).
It is believed that the chief personnel who were responsible for building this beauty were from the Khandwaliya community, one of the well-known and antiqued communities of Rajasthan.
The beauty of the Mehrangarh Fort:
This enthralling fort is one of the massive forts of Rajasthan and still well-maintained. The intricate artworks and the carvings of the walls of the fort are lavishing and eye-catching. Once you enter the fort, you will be taken aback by the majestic grace of the fort. The extensive and all-embracing courtyards are amazing whereas the ornamental palaces within it will take you back to the glorified part of India. Among the several palaces of Mehrangarh Fort, the most enchanting ones are Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Mahal), Sileh Khana, and Daulat Khana. From the top of the fort, the view of the entire city is mesmerizing and the spiral road to and from the city, making several loops seems like a sleeping anaconda.
Famous Gates of Mehrangarh Fort:
To enter the fort you have to come across the chain of seven enormous gates. Among these seven gates the most famous ones are as follows:
Jai Pol – Jai Pol means the Gate of Victory and it was constructed by Maharaja Man Singh, the popular and distinguished king of Rathore rulers, in the year 1806. He built this gate as the memorial of his triumph in the battle against Jaipur and Bikaner.
Fateh Pol – It was erected to mark the triumph against the Mughals in the year 1707.
Dedh Kamagra Pol – It is the second gate and it tells the story of the power and impact of the wars. This gate is engraved with the marks of cannonballs that were fired by the ravaging soldiers of Jaipur.
Loha Pol – It is the last gate, which allows you to enter the main complex of the fort. This speaks for the vanity and horrific custom of past India. To the left side of this gate, there can be found the handprints of the Ranis (Queens), who sacrificed their lives by jumping into the funeral pyre of their husband, Maharaja Man Singh, in the year 1843. This is the ‘Sari custom or ‘Jahar-vrata’ which was prevalent in then India and was considered as a noble one.
Museum of the Mehrangarh Fort:
This is the most breath-taking part of the fort as it illustrates the lavishing lifestyle and gives an account of the abundant wealth of this royal family.
The magnificent howdahs (two-chambered wooden seat) are decorated with mostly golds and silver along with precious stones. The first part is relatively spacious which is meant for the kings or for the members of the royal family and the smaller compartment is for the trustworthy guard of the royal personnel.
The palanquins were mainly made for the queens or the royal ladies for traveling purposes. And these were as beautiful and heavily jeweled as the howdahs.
Daulat Khana displays the pivotal and well-preserved treasury of that time. This section tells the stories of arts and crafts of that period, primarily known as the Mughal Period of India. Rathore clan of Jodhpur was closely related to the Mughals. So, this gallery mostly contains the history of that connection.
The armory section showcases the uncommon stack of armors that were used by the Rathore rulers or gifted to them. The armors include swords of different shapes and sizes, knives of different weights, guns, barrels, heavy shields, and many more. Almost all the weapons are decorated with gems, gold, silver, ivory, and fine jewels. The most notable ones among these are the sword of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, the heavy Khanda of powerful king Rao Jodha, and the sword of infamous Taimur Lang.
The paintings of the museum hold the excellence of the Marwar paintings. Mostly these display the portraits of the kings of the Rathore clan, different important members of this royal family, and the detailed accounts of various incidents ranging from incidents related to the royal family to the different stories of Indian mythologies and epics.
Headgears were an integral part of Rajasthan’s culture. Even today the culture of wearing a turban is prevalent there. For them, it is the mark of their pride. So, in the turban gallery of the Mehrangarh Museum, you will find different types of turbans, varying in shape, size, and color. Each community and each occasion has the custom of wearing different headgears.
The popularity of Mehrangarh Fort:
Mehrangarh Fort is famous for its majestic architecture, royal history, and indigenous cultures. Along with the fort, the folk songs, exhibitions, craft bazaars, and their unique traditions are the center of attraction for tourists, all over the globe.
Shootings of many popular films and songs of different countries have been done there, such as The Jungle Book, The Dark Knight Rises, Bollywood movie Awarapan, and many more. The Indian legend Amitabh Bachchan has mentioned his outstanding experience in this fort in one of his blogs. The massive fort made Rudyard Kipling spell-bound and he called the fort “the work of giants”.
Since the ages, Mehrangarh Fort has been alluring the wanderers of the globe with its majestic spells and it continues.
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