Situated at the confluence of the Majhi and Banganga rivers, Kangra fort is situated on a steep rock in the district of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Kangra Fort is located on the outskirts of Kangra town, 20 kilometers from Dharamshala.
Many doors in the forts were built by rulers of various dynasties. But the primary entrance to the forts is through a courtyard that follows two gates. Andheri Darwaza is the primary defense gate that is 15 feet high and 7 meters long. The narrow passage after the gate prevents more than two men from passing. After this, the passage leads to Ahani and Amiri Darwza. Both Darwaza was constructed by Nawab Alif Khan, the first governor of Kangra.
After crossing Ahani and Amiri Darwza, the passage proceeds to Jhangiri Darwaza, which leads to the top of the fort.
Besides being an important historical place, the fort houses three temples: the Ambika Devi Temple, the Shitalamata Temple, and the Lakshmi Narayan Temple.
History of Kangra fort
The Kangra forts date back to Mahabharata times, 3500 years ago. When Susharma Chand of the Katoch dynasty fought alongside the Kauravas, he built the temple. After his defeat in battle, he took Trigarta under control and built the Kangra fort there. The fort houses the Brajeshwari temple, which receives huge treasures and gifts from visitors through the years.
The vast treasures of the temple always attract a large number of attacks from invaders on the fort. Sreshta, Raja of Kashmir, was the first ruler to attack the temple in 470 AD. In 1009 AD, Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the fort. The Turkish rulers Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firoz Shah Tughlaq attacked the fort to plunder.
During the invasion, large amounts of treasure were looted from the wells located in the fort. In 1615, Akbar took back the fort from the Turks. In 1620, Jahangir captured the fort.
In 1758, Ahmed Shah Abdali appointed Ghamand Chand the governor of Jalandhar. His grandson finally defeated the ruler, Saif Ali Khan, and recovered the throne in 1789. After this, Sansar Chand annexed the kingdom nearby and became very powerful. All the annexed kingdom’s rulers became anxious about this and asked for help from Gurkha commander Amar Singh Thapa. On the order of Amar Singh Thapa, Gurka troops invaded the fort and won. In reaction to this, Sansar Chand made an alliance with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1809, Sansar Chand, along with Ranjit Singh, defeated the Gurkhas and forced them back to the Ghagra River.
But at last, the British took possession of the fort after defeating the Sikhs in the Anglo-Sikh War of 1846. During the British garrison, the fort received major destruction in the earthquake of April 4th, 1905.
How to Reach Kangra fort
By Road: Kangra Fort is well connected by road to the major cities in Himachal Pradesh and nearby states. You can take a bus or hire a taxi from nearby cities like Dharamshala, Pathankot, and Amritsar. The fort is located around 20 km from Dharamshala and around 250 km from Chandigarh.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Kangra Fort is the Kangra Railway Station, which is located around 3 km away from the fort. However, this station has limited connectivity, so you can also consider taking a train to the Pathankot Railway Station, which is located around 90 km away from Kangra Fort. From Pathankot, you can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach the fort.
By Air: The nearest airport to Kangra Fort is Gaggal Airport, which is about 11 kilometers away. This airport has limited connectivity, so you can also consider taking a flight to the Chandigarh International Airport, which is located around 250 km away from Kangra Fort. From the airport, you can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach the fort.