Junagarh would
have to be one of the Rajasthan's most impressive fort complexes.
Junagarh Fort was constructed
between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of mughal
emperor Akhbar, with embellishments in the form of palaces andluerious
suites added by subsequent Maharajas. This fort has a 986m-long wall with
37 bastions, a moat and two entrances. The Surajpol or the 'Sun
Gate' is the main entrance. The palaces within the fort are on the
southern side and make a picturique ensemble of courtyards, balconies,
kiosks, towers and windows. A major feature of fort and palaces is the
superb quality of stone carving. The handprints which can be seen close to
the Daulatpol commemorate the wives of Rajput soldiers lost in
battles, who committed sati on their husbands' funeral pyres.
Despite that fact Junagarh doesn't command hilltop position, as do some of
the Rajathan's other grand forts, it is no less imposing and a credit to
its planners and architects has never been conquered.
Junagarh Fort was constructed
between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of mughal
emperor Akhbar, with embellishments in the form of palaces andluerious
suites added by subsequent Maharajas. This fort has a 986m-long wall with
37 bastions, a moat and two entrances. The Surajpol or the 'Sun
Gate' is the main entrance. The palaces within the fort are on the
southern side and make a picturique ensemble of courtyards, balconies,
kiosks, towers and windows. A major feature of fort and palaces is the
superb quality of stone carving. The handprints which can be seen close to
the Daulatpol commemorate the wives of Rajput soldiers lost in
battles, who committed sati on their husbands' funeral pyres.