NahargarhFort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the city of Jaipurin the Indian state of Rajasthan. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort,
Nahargarh once formed a strong defense ring for the city. The fort was
originally named Sudarshangarh, but it became known as Nahargarh, which means
'abode of tigers'. The popular belief is that Nahar here stands for Nahar Singh
Bhomia,whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort.
Nahar's spirit was pacified by building a temple in his memory within the fort,
which thus became known by his name.
Built
mainly in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, the fort
was constructed as a place of retreat on the summit of the ridge above the
city. Walls extended over the surrounding hills, forming fortifications that
connected this fort to Jaigarh, the fort above the old capital of Amber. Though
the fort never came under attack during the course of its history, it did see
some historical events, notably the treaties with the Maratha forces who warred
with Jaipur in the 18th century. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the
Europeans of the region, including the British Resident's wife, were moved to
Nahargarh fort by the king of Jaipur, Sawai Ram Singh, for their protection.
The
fort was extended in 1868, during the reign of Sawai Ram Singh. In 1883-92, a
range of palaces was built at Nahargarh by Dirgh Patel at a cost of nearly three
and a half lakh rupees.The Madhavendra Bhawan, built by Sawai Madho Singh had
suites for the queens of Jaipur and at the head was a suite for the king
himself. The rooms are linked by corridors and still have some delicate
frescoes. Nahargarh was also a hunting residence of the Maharajas.
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