Nahargarh Fort

Nahargarh Fort of Rajasthan is located 6km north west of Jaipur, on the rugged Aravali Hills. Nahargarh means 'abode of the tigers' was built by Jai Sawai Singh II in 1734 to bolster the defense of Amer and the fort is the first of the three forts built by him. Later further additions were made to it by the succeeding rulers. It is a small fort on a sheer rock face with immense walls and bastions. It is here the portions of the famous hindi movie 'Rang De Basanti' were shot.

One have to walk around 2 km up through a long-winding road, to reach the top of the fort. Also known as 'Tiger Fort, it offers a stunning view of Jaipur right down below to the Man Sagar Lake. The name Nahargarh is derived after the death of Rathore prince, Nahar Singh, whose spirit used to haunt the site (the King built a small fortress at Purana Ghat in order to please the spirit and then the fort was renamed as Nahargarh). 

Although most of the Nahargarh fort is now in the ruins, the walls and the 19th century additions including the rooms furnished for the maharajas are worth admiration.

The fort was extended in 1868 and in 1880s the fort changed as a monsoon retreat by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh. He ordered the Raj Imarat, who responsible for royal construction projects to design a pleasure palace within the fort known as Madhavendra Bhawan Palace. And, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, the designer of Jaipur of Rajasthan, built this palace with its beautiful interiors of frescoes and stucco designs. It has a cluster of 9 identical suites for queens and a suite for the king himself which were set around three sides of a rectangular courtyard and all these are linked by a maze of corridors. The maharaja’s personal living wing was built on the fourth side. The architecture of the palace is basically an Indian architecture which has some delicate frescos as well as western styled toilets and kitchen hearths. The Mardana Mahal at Nahargarh Fort of Rajasthan served as the living quarters of the royal men.

Looks stunningly beautiful at night when it's lit up, Nahargarh Fort provides an eye catching view of the Man Sagar Lake, Jal Mahal(Water Palace) and the suburbs. Inspired by the Lake Palace in Udaipur, Jal Mahal was built in the 18th century and was mainly used for royal duck shooting parties. The fort is currently a protected monuments by Rajasthan state's Department of Archaeology.

Nahargarh Fort is open daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission Fee : Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 30 for Foreigners. Extra Camera Fee.