Kangra Fort, Himachal Pradesh, Military fort in Kangra district, India.
Kangra Fort is a military fortification in Kangra district that extends across roughly 463 acres between the Manjhi and Banganga rivers at an elevation of about 760 meters. The structure features massive stone walls and multiple entrance gates that divide the site into distinct sections.
Kangra Fort was built by the Katoch Rajput dynasty; its oldest surviving remains are Jain and Hindu temples of about the 9th–10th century AD. The first recorded reference is its invasion by Mahmud Ghazni in 1009. Jahangir annexed it in 1620 after killing Raja Hari Chand, and it stayed under Mughal rule until 1783. Ranjit Singh took it in 1809, and the British held it until the 1905 earthquake.
Stone temples dedicated to Lakshmi-Narayana and Ambika Devi stand in the fort's courtyard alongside a Svetambara Jain temple. These structures reflect the coexistence of different faiths within these walls over the centuries.
Kangra Fort lies about 20 km from Dharamsala, 5 km from new Kangra and 3 km from the narrow-gauge Kangra railway station, which sits at 668.531 m. The only way in is a long, narrow passage that turns sharply about 500 feet from the outer gate, so allow time to walk it. The site is under the Archaeological Survey of India.
The fort contains architectural elements from different eras, including gates from the Sikh period and structures attributed to Nawab Saif Ali Khan. This blended style reveals how successive rulers left their mark on the complex.
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