Rajasthan is a land of some of the most fantastic palaces and forts. The state is rich with heritage of many royal families such as Mughal Empire, the Rajputs, the Gupta Empire etc. Nahargarh Fort, formerly known as Sudarshangarh, is one such magnificent fort. It is located about 20 km from the main city and overlooks the pink city of Jaipur.
Perched on the Aravalli mountain ranges of Jaipur, Nahargarh Fort was built by Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh II back in 1734. The word Nahargarh literally translates to "abode of tigers" and it was named so because it is believed that tigers roamed around the hills of this place.
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Another myth behind this name is that, the spirit of a prince named Nahar Singh Bhomia, was believed to have roamed here! His spirit was supposedly pacified later by building a temple nearby, in his name.
Along with Jaigarh Fort and Amer Fort, Nahargarh Fort used to be the defence of the Rajput's capital city of Amer. The city used to be in a hullabaloo by being the region's main activity centre back in the 1600s. The fort is located in such a brilliant place that it offers a bird's eye view to the entire city of Jaipur.
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Details Of Entry
The fort is open from 10 am in the morning to 5 pm in the evening. For Indian Nationals, the entry fee is Rs 25 while it is Rs 200 for Foreign Nationals.
Best Time To Visit The Nahargarh Fort
The winter months of October to March is the perfect time to visit Nahargarh Fort. Since Rajasthan is a desert area, the weather is bound to be sunny throughout the year. The winter months have the perfect pleasant weather of 20 to 22 degree Celsius during the day.
More About The Nahargarh Fort
Did you know that Nahargarh was one of the shooting locations for many movies such as Jodha Akbar and Rang De Basanti?! In fact, the tourist attraction towards the fort shot up after the shooting of the movie Rang De Basanti. The scene of Sharman Joshi and Aamir Khan falling off the cliff while drinking beer, in the song Khalbali was shot right here!
The King built the Mahendra Bhawan, a section found inside the fort in such a way that, it used to have 12 indistinguishable suites for 12 of his queens. These were built in such a way that, his queens could never find out when the King went to one of the rooms!
The rooms of the fort have connecting hallways and have fabulous interior designs filled with beautiful frescoes. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the King had helped many Europeans by giving them shelter at this very fort.
The fort never came under an attack but had witnessed some notable historical events like the treaty with the forces of Maratha when they attacked Jaipur in the 18th century.
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It is best to visit Nahargarh Fort during the day. You can finish visiting the Nahargarh Fort first and have lunch at the restaurant present in the fort's premise.
Places To Visit Near Nahargarh Fort
Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, the other forts that formed the defence of Ajmer is located in the vicinity so they can be visited. Jantar Mantar, the famous astronomical observatory is located just 2.7 km from the Nahargarh Fort. The other places that cannot be missed after coming to Jaipur are the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal.