Information on Gawilghur Fort (Amravati, Maharashtra) - History & Architecture

Gawilghur Fort (also Gawilgarh Fort or Gawilgad Fort) is a hilltop fort built around 589 years ago by the Bhamani Kingdom of South Central India. This heritage fort has vast significance in the Indian history and well known for the 2nd Anglo Maratha War. This is an unparalleled fortress in the entire India, which is having a Persian design. This is the one of the oldest forts, which is till lasting for today. This fortress is located at Achalpur Village, Amravati District of Maharashtra in India.

Gawilghur Fort Architecture

Gawilghur Fort is strongly and beautifully built in the Pathan Architecture. It's somewhat Islamic and Indian traditional fort form, which were upgraded by later years of the building of this fortress. The first fortress formed here was a mud block fort. The traces of its mud structures are still seen inside the fort areas. It is totally made of Stones in the later years of developments. The granite stone with lime stone pasting is found everywhere. It is well placed on the top of Gawilghad Hills as one of the strongest fortification in the Maratha region. It has a very strong gateways built along the ramparts. Its fortification has many cylindrical and square shaped bastions. These bastions were contracting the walls in greater strengths that it doesn't get damaged by the cannon firing by the British in the 2nd Anglo Maratha battle held here. On the inner parts of this fort has very designed in the Pathan designs. There are vast areas inside filled with small and large structures carved beautifully. One can find many cannon junctions on the top of its fortified walls. This shows that this was built as a defensive fort on this location to safeguard its land and civilians. There are many pillared open verandahs built here with few curved dooms on it. There is a mosque built with two high beautifully designed minaret found here. This fortress has got two natural water catchment areas, which was sufficient tot provide throughout the year water supply inside this fortress. Many of its complexes had canopy tops. It does have a tunnel links to Narnala fort which is location in the same hill ranges. But this tunnel is unable to access in the recent times, due to thick vegetations formed inside these cave tunnels. It has got many graffiti's inscribed in the Persian language mentioning its history of this fort on all gates of this fortress. These inscriptions made the historians to believe that this is a structure which has long standing history of more than five centuries. It is well equipped fort for garrison purpose and there are many well built magazine warehouse seen here. Its cannons and other British artilleries are kept here in as in were state.

Gawilghur Fort History

Gawilghur Fort is also known as the Gawilghad Fort. It was built from 1425 AD and took only one year to complete this fort. This fort was in use from 1426 AD to 1803 AD. The main architect behind this fortress was the Ahmed Sha, who was the ruler of the Bidar area. He is well known in the history as a great empire builder with great marvelous structures. Until the 19th century it was in the hands of the Muzaffarid dynasty later occupied by the Marathas and lost in the of 2nd Anglo-Maratha war to the East India Company. This battle saw the highest loss of lives on the both the sides. This fort has the marks of guns and cannon firing on its walls, these are seen today also.

Gawilghur Fort Tourism Importance

Gawilghur Fort is a protected monument and a heritage hilltop fort worth seeing. This fort is one of the best fortresses in standing conditions surrounded with natural scenic environment.