Information on Kalinjar Fort (Banda, Uttar Pradesh) - History & Architecture

Kalinjar Fort is a historical fort located in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. The fort is regarded as one of the eight popular forts created by Chandela emperors throughout the end of 1st and commencement of 2nd millennium. This fort served as great blockade for the intruders who aim to invade from southern region. Kalinjar Fort is popular for its huge assortment of memorials and statues which divulges various historic occurrences and practices. Every emperor who ruled the fort left a mark on it by artworks, statues and stoneworks. Thus it has immense historical importance and architectural phenomenon is simply outstanding to note.

Kalinjar Fort Architecture

Created in Hindu architectural style, Kalinjar Fort is considered as the sign of unparalleled pride, fashion and creativity. The fort was created on 25 to 30 meter extensive basis, possessing the height of about 30 to 35 meter and length of about 7.5 meter. It is situated on the top of a divine hill which is stated in various Hindu scriptures. Sand stones and granite pieces were used in order to construct the fort.

The main portion of Kalinjar Fort is rectangular shaped which lies from east to west. The entrance of the fort is through vertical and stony path of a hill. The path is marked by seven beautifully engraved gates namely, Ganesh Dwar, Budha Bhadra Darwaza and Hanuman Dwar among others. Apart from that, other amazing features of Kalinjar Fort are massive rock sculpture of god Bhairava, figure of god Hanuman and various other rock statues of Hindu lords namely Shiv, Kali and Parbati among others. Another beautiful attraction of Kalinjar Fort is the fortress of king Aman Singh. Various folktales are related with this fortress whose big grasslands and walls explain a long history of Chandela culture.

Among various structures one of the prevalent is Sita Sej. It is a small cavern with stone cradle and cushion. There is also an underground basin named Patal Ganga in Kalinjar Fort. Other attractions of the fort are temples which are created in Hindu architectural styles. The temples provide an incomparable creativity and elaborate stone artefacts. One of the most popular temples of Kalinjar Fort is Neelkanth's temple, created by Chandela ruler Parmardi dev. Designed by rock made pool, the temple has 18 fortified image of lord Bhairav. The magnificence and splendour of Kalinjar Fort is owing to the imaginative thoughts and greatly developed appealing sense of different rulers. Thus the fort carry immense architectural importance and one can see the distinct phenomenon and the artwork left by the rulers, who rules the fort and lived. The splendid work and the beautiful architectural brilliance marks it as an important historical structure in Uttar Pradesh.

Kalinjar Fort History

The historical background of Kalinjar Fort is brimming with various battles and conquests. The Hindu rulers of various families along with Muslim rulers battled for conquering it and the fort continued to shift from one ruler to other. However, Chandelas were the only rulers who succeeded to take control of the fort for a long period of time.

According to historical records, Kalinjar Fort was created in 7th century by Kedar Burman, a Chendela ruler. In the year 1023, one Muslim emperor named Mohammad Gazni attacked the fort in order to deteriorate the stranglehold by Chandela emperors. However, he was not successful to capture the fort. In 1526, Mughal emperor Babur captured it by defeating king Hasan Khan. The fort is the place where King Sher Shah Suri faced his death in 1545. In 16th century the fort was gifted by King Akbar to king Birbal. The fort also played vital role during the rebellion in year 1857 by British battalion. Ultimately in colonial era, Kalinjar Fort was captured by British people.

Kalinjar Fort Tourism Importance

Kalinjar Fort is respected as the great memorial of art and archaeology. It provides unparalleled creativity which can attract several travellers. Travellers can enjoy is massive structures along with various monuments and statues, inside the fort. Besides, the fort is also captivating for people of historical interests. Its popular structures characterised by various temples and constructions are vital attractions which makes Kalinjar Fort a popular place for tourism.