Balapur Fort, Mughal fortress in Balapur, India

Balapur Fort is a fortified structure built at the junction of the Man and Bhains rivers, featuring three nested gateways and tall brick walls designed for military defense. The layout shows the defensive strategies of its era with features meant to withstand attacks.

Construction began under Mirza Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, who is said to have lived at Balapur and built a mud fort there. The fort was completed in 1757 by Ismaeel Khan, Nawab of Elichpur. Under the Treaty of Purandar, the Balapur pargana was granted as a jageer to Sambhaji, who was made a commandant of 5,000. It was declared a Monument of National Importance on 29 August 1912.

The town takes its name from the Bala Devi temple, which stands just below the fort on its southern side. The old Gazetteer records that visitors to the chhatri of Raja Man Singh, a pavilion south of the village by the river, scrawl their names on it and colour a central stone with sacred red.

The fort sits about 26 kilometers from Akola and is reachable via road networks connected to Akola Railway Junction. Visitors should plan for monsoon conditions, as flooding can restrict access during heavy rains.

The chhatri of Raja Man Singh, a 25-foot-square, 33-foot-high pavilion built by Mirza Raja Jaisingh, stands south of the town by the river. Its foundations were badly damaged in a flood remembered as the 'dhvdya pur' over a century ago, and repairs were paid for with Rs 3,000 sent from Jaipur.