Junagargh fort is located in the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan, India. Formerly known as Chintamani this fort was renamed as the old fort or Junagargh early in 20th century when the family that was ruling the city moved from another palace known as Lalgarh Palace, which is located outside the limits of the forts. Most of the forts found in Rajasthan are built on top of the hill. This fort is one among the few exceptions. Though this fort has been attacked many times, this fort has never been conquered making it an unassailable fort in Rajasthan.

This fort’s construction was started in the year 1589 outside the limits of the original fort of the city by the sixth ruler of Bikaner, Raja Rai Singh. The whole area of the fort is filled with palaces, temples and pavilions and the fort itself is of immersive beauty with a mix of different architectural styles from various well-known architects.

History of Junagarh Fort

The history takes the memory back to the creation of the city Bikaner. Prince Bika the son of Rao Jodha who belonged to the rathore clan of Rajput moved out of Marwar or Jodhpur for a military adventure. He along with his uncle and advisor Rawat Kandhal captured the land of Bikaner which was inhabited by many jats and rajputs and was crowned as the ruler of the land.

The city was started in 1488 AD and a small fortress was built in Rati Ghati Area. This fortress is known as the Laxminath Ji Temple and can be found in the south west end from Junagargh Fort.  When Raja Rai Singh Ji built the new fort in 1589 AD it was called Chintamani and when the royal family moved to the new fort it was renamed Junagargh Fort.  The fort was built by various rulers spanning over a period of four centuries. The amazing structure is even more decorated with gems that are from Thar dessert.

Reaching this Fort

Bikaner city is well connected with road and railways.

By Rail

Trains running from Jammu, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Surat, Chandigarh and Calcutta connect with Bikaner.

By Road

Roadways has been improved by the tourism department of Rajasthan. Many bus services run to Bikaner from other cities of Rajasthan. Even deluxe bus from Delhi are available to reach Bikaner.

By Air

The nearest airport is Nal Airport, which is some 17 km from the city center. Jodhpur Airport is other nearest airport to reach Bikaner.

Moving Around the City

Taxis, auto rickshaws and Tongas are available for moving around the city.

Structures in The Fort

The fort has many numbers of palaces and temples of Redstone and marble built inside the fort. Today the palace, temples and forts has been converted into museums and they give a grand exposure into the lives of Rajasthan Maharajas of those days. The fort built by various architects can be exclaimed as mix of military architecture of medieval period and medieval period’s interior decoration.

The fort has seven gates and main temples related to Hindu and Jain religions. The temples date back to 16th century. The interiors are decorated in typical Rajasthani style. The fort is also known as depiction of composite cultures as much architectural influence from Gujarat and Mughal can be seen there.

Gates

The main gate is known as Parole and is facing the east. The current gate being used for entry is Suraj Pol. This is made up of yellow sand stone whereas all other gates are made up of red standstone. The other gates are named as Daulat Pol, Chand Pol and Fateh Pol. All the gates have statues of elephants sentinels made of red sand stone. The royal chambers can be accessed through the gate known as tripolia Gate.

Temples

The royal family had a private temple known as Har mandir where Hindu festivals such as Duseera and Ganguar was celebrated among the royal family. There is a Krishna temple in the fort names as Ratan Behari temple which was built in Indo Mughal Architecture with white marble.

Palaces

There are Many Palaces Inside This Fort. Some of the famous ones are given below

Karan Mahal

This was built by Karan Singh for marking his victory against the Emperor Aurangzeb. This palace is quite a beauty with gardens that display the royalty of Rajasthan. The windows have stainedglasses and the balconies are carved with intricate designs. More glitters were added by the other rulers in terms of mirror patterns and paints. The coronation chamber has the shored up alcove that was used as the throne in those days.

Anup Mahal

This place existed as the administrative headquarters of the kingdom and is decorated with wooden ceilings and Italian tiles.

The other attractive palaces include Phool Mahal, Badal Mahal and Chandra Mahal.

Museum

Prachina Museum was established in the year 2000. This displays the glorious heritage of the rulers of Bikaner in the form of manuscript collection, jewels, carpets, weapons, treaties and costumes of the royal people. Also, in display are the portraits and decorations. The crafts man of Rajasthan are allowed to display their handicraft products in Rajasthan.