A King, his Concubine and a Ghost

                                                                   Nahargarh Fort,Jaipur

History

Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, was built in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh.It stands 700 ft above sea level/city level .

Story

It is supposed to be one of the most haunted forts of Rajasthan. During the fort's construction, while excavation was going on , a strange thing happened. It is said that the workers built the walls and went home after dark. But when they came back the next day, they found the walls had crumbled into rubble. Then it  came to light that the place was the resting ground of a dead Rathore prince, Nahar Singh Bhomia, who was angry at the intrusion. In order to pacify the spirit, the king ordered his men to build a temple in his name (Nahar Singh Bhomia) within the fort complex, and from then onwards, all disturbances ended. Still ,as per the locals, his spirit started haunting the palace in the form of mysterious sounds, ghostly apparitions, unexplained happenings... The fort was originally called Sudarshangarh, but later on its name changed to Nahargarh Fort in memory of Nahar Singh Bhomia. Nahargarh also means abode of the tigers.   

Since it was built on the summit of a ridge, so the walls of the fort extended over the surrounding hills, forming a natural boundary, connecting it to Jaigarh fort ,which was built above the Amber fort in Amber, the old capital of Jaipur. 

Though the main purpose of the fort was to serve as a retreat for the kings of Jaipur, but it is a testimony to history too. In the 18th century, the truce between the Rajputana kings and the Maratha warriors was signed here. In the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, European families were kept in the safe confines of this remote fort under the aegis of the then Maharaja of Jaipur.   

Nahargarh Fort later on turned into a prison and  hardened criminals were thrown down deep into the gorge ,as some sources say.

Nahargarh Fort during King Jagat Singh's Rule *

 King Jagat Singh succeeded Pratap Singh in A.D.1803 as the ruler of Jaipur and ruled for 

17 years. He was notorious for being the most dissolute king of his race and time. His reign 

was infamous for foreign invasions (wherein cities were besieged), abject yielding to enemy forces, court intrigues... The 'lofty walls'  of Jaipur was insulted by 'every marauder'. On top of that he was a 'libertine prince'. He had  'effeminate vices' mainly, 'cowardice '.The royal treasury was 'rapidly dissipated' due to his recklessness. The treasures of the kingdom were faithfully guarded by the hereditary guardians, the Meenas of Kalikho, through generations. But the king squandered the riches on 'unworthy pursuits'.  Commerce discontinued and agriculture rapidly declined. The king had no interest in the affairs of the state and 'one day a tailor ruled the councils ,the next  a baniyah, who might have succeeded by a brahmin'. They were further elevated to the post of   Donjon keep of 'Nahargurh' .

On top of all these calamitous adventures, Raja Jagat Singh was passionately obsessed with his 'Ishlamite concubine', 'Ras-caphoor '(Essence of Camphor)'.He made her 'Queen of half of Amber' and gave her half of the 'crown's power' (king's power). He even gifted her the invaluable library of  Sawai Jai Singh (founder of Jaipur), the same library which had made Jaipur a gathering place for learned minds. The library was looted and its treasures were distributed among the concubine's relatives. The Raja struck a coin in her name, rode with her on the same elephant and demanded that his chieftains treat her with the same respect that they would treat his legitimate queens.

His chieftains could not tolerate this and the brave Chand Singh of Doonee refused to take part in any ceremony where she was present. The king punished him by levying on him exorbitant taxes. The chieftains made a plan to depose the king but the plan became known and hence it failed. Then another plan was hatched. The king's friend poisoned his (Jagat Singh) mind against the concubine. The king believed his friend. The  king was furious and he issued a mandate by which her property was taken away and she was thrown in the castle of Nahargarh. That was the end of her.      

 The Visit

                    

                             A Part of the Mysterious Palace from the Terrace

We went to Nahargarh when the sun was already in its last legs. From the Jaipur-Delhi Highway, we turned left to the road leading to Nahargarh fort. There were many young bikers in  groups, or in cars waiting at the roadside and enjoying the beauty. The greenery of the deciduous forest  and green gorges were  mind-blowing .The road from the plains to the fort is full of hairpin bends and the gorges are also deep. As we were nearing towards the fort, the couples and bikers reduced in number, and it was an eerie adventure to pass through that dense jungle road ( albeit the road was good) with only our vehicle moving and sometimes a lonesome motorbike. It was quite enchanting.  Dusk had descended and in the gloaming, the entrance to Nahargarh fort loomed large in the play of shadow and light. By the time we walked towards the palace, after parking our car at the parking lot outside the fort, it was dark and floodlights were lit on. The first palace was the Sheesh Mahal. After a short distance, the main palace area started . The area was very neat and clean.Even the stone-paved road inside the fort was spick and span. The cannon stood before the entrance gate to the palaces,  and there was a checking carried out on the visitors. 

                     

                                      Common Courtyard of the Nine Palaces

The fort consists of nine palaces. It was built according to the nine planets. Some say that the nine palaces denoted the  nine queens/concubines of the king. The first structure is the inner courtyard and all the nine palaces  opened to this courtyard. We saw the rooms of one palace,consisting of the living area, bedroom, hall, kitchen , bathroom,  which was a replica of all the other palaces. Through the narrow,  steep staircase we climbed upstairs. Here, there was another courtyard and entrance to the palaces. They were interconnected through and through, with long, narrow corridors which looked like tunnels. At the centre of the palaces was a distinctive palace which belonged only to the king. It served as his changing room. It is here, that he decided on the special queen (among his nine queens) whom  he would visit on that particular day.

Nahargarh Fort is also referred to as a Donjon. It fulfils all the characteristics of a  Donjon. Donjon is the main, heavily fortified tower in a castle and hence could withstand attacks. The castle contained the king's living quarters, such as bedrooms, a great hall and other important rooms.  

Entrance Gate                 

                    Another View of the Courtyard

                                                         

Endless Tunnels                                          

                                        

                           

                         

                                           

 Magical and Dreamy structures under the Floodlights at Nahargarh

  Mind-blowing  Inlay Work on the Walls, Pillars and Floor                                        

                             

             Play of Light  and Shade in the Palace    

  Signboard for History Buffs

                      

Last time (nearly 22 years back),when we visited this fort in the afternoon, the doors leading to the corridors were shutting down automatically with a loud thud, for no rhyme or reason. There was no wind anywhere, not even a slight breeze. Unexplained phenomena? But this time the doors were wide open and perhaps secured with door stoppers. From this upper -floor courtyard, we climbed further up to the terrace where we got a expansive and captivating view of Jaipur, especially Bani Park.

                   

                        A Part of the Palace standing like a Shadow's Shadow

                

                            Jaipur City from the Terrace of Nahargarh Fort

But one word of caution: there are lots of monkeys on the terrace, and the staircase to the  terrace is very narrow. The monkeys come dangerously close and might snatch your mobile phone. The staircase is also not well lighted, so that we climbed down with the  torch from our mobile phones.   

 The Cannon near the Entrance                            

  A Part of the Courtyard and Corridor

                            

             Lighted Room and the Dark Terrace.           

    Jaipur from the Tower's Crenellated Parapet

        

While we were still on the terrace the guards came and warned us that it was nearing seven thirty and the palace will close soon. Though the fort opens at 10.00 a.m. and closes at 5.30 p.m. but that day our visit extended till late evening. The guards rushed all visitors to the exit because it is not safe to stay till late evening (bordering on night), as the forest surrounding it, is part of Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary,which is adjacent to the fort.The sanctuary is  home to many wild animals, such as leopards,deer,hyenas,tigers,lions,bears, birds etc. Leopards are often seen near the fort at dawn and at dusk; or on the road leading to Nahargarh fort.  

Nahargarh is  just 6 km away from Jaipur railway station. At night ,it is lighted up, so that it looks more mysterious, as the yellow illumination shapes itself according to the arches, domes, colonnades and looks like a fairy-tale  castle from the foothills. The royal family of Jaipur burst crackers during Diwali in the Nahargarh fort complex.

* Reference: Annals and Antiquities of Rajast'han  by James Tod ,Volume II

Photographs : Bulbul Sur

Panna Meena ka Kund

Panna Meena ka Kund

                                                 Architecture meets Utility   

                                                     Panna Meena ka Kund

Panna Meena ka Kund

Amber Fort

 Panna Meena ka kund* is an ancient baori*, in Amber, near Jaipur, in Rajasthan, India.  It is situated about 13 km away from Jaipur Railway station and via Amer road it will take about 45 minutes to reach there. Most of the guides show the magnificent, big brother Amber Fort to the tourists, so Panna Meena ka Kund, a hidden historical and architectural wonder is unknown to most tourists. It is concealed in a by lane near Amber Fort. It is just 5 minutes away (750 m) from Amber Fort via Sagar Road. After reaching Amber Fort, you drive a little bit straight passing through shops on both sides and then you turn left to a narrow lane. The narrow road is nothing spectacular with shops, houses, some camels, cows, ancient trees and temples...and just a little farther on, is Panna Meena ka  Kund in all its glory.                                                                     

History

Not much is known about the date of its origin. The most popular accepted version is, it is more than 400 years old and was built in the 17^th century, during the reign of Jai Singh I (1611-1667). Another version is that it was built by a eunuch called Panna Miyan who worked in the durbar of Jai Singh I. He helped Jai Singh to build this stepwell as a rainwater catchment. Hence, the Kund was named after him.

But   local tales suggest that it might be built in the tenth century when Amber was ruled by the Meena tribe.

Before the Rajputs ruled Amber, the Meena Tribes were Amber’s undisputed rulers. A Meena king could not be defeated by the Rajputs, so they resorted to treachery. They took the help of an insider in the Meena dynasty and came to know that during Diwali it was customary for the Meena king to take bath in the kund, leaving his weapons aside. The Rajputs seized one such occasion on Diwali and killed him, and laid the foundation of Kachhwaha dynasty in Amber.

This story is somewhat authenticated by James Tod (famous oriental scholar)  in his book, “Annals and Antiquities of Rajas'than.”  He described vividly how Sora Singh’s son Dhola Rai of the Kacchhwaha dynasty captured Amber. He writes about a similar incident in Khogong, ‘encircled by hills’, ‘within five miles of the modern Jeipoor’ which was ruled by the Meena tribe. Khogong is modern day Amber.

 'On the death of Sora Singh, prince of Nurwar, his brother usurped the government, depriving the infant, Dhola Rae of his inheritance.' Dhola Rai’s mother placed her infant son in a basket, carried it on her head and travelled to the town of Khogong, which was ‘inhabited by Meenas’.

In Khogong, she got a job in the royal household by ‘direction of the Meena Rani’. One day, she (Dhola Rai’s mother) was ‘ordered to prepare dinner’ which Ralunsi, the Meena Raja ate. He found it so good from the usual food which he ate every day, that he sent for the cook. The widowed and exiled queen related her story. When the Meena chief discovered ‘the rank of the illustrious fugitive,’ he adopted the ex-rani as his sister and her son Dhola Rai as his nephew.     

When Dhola Rai attained the Rajput manhood (14 years) he was sent to Delhi ‘with the tribute of Khogong, to attend’ instead of the Meena king. There he stayed for 5 years and hatched a plan to usurp the throne of his benefactor, the Meena King. A Meena d’hadi (bard/minstrel) gave Dhola Rai insider information that during the festival of Diwali, the Meena King with his associates perform ablutions en masse in a tank as was the custom. Dhola Rai, the young ‘cuchwaha’ seized the opportunity and with a few of his Rajput ‘brethren from Delhi’ killed all the Meenas in the stepwell. The kund was filled with dead bodies. Dhola Rai killed the bard too with his own hands, “observing, ‘He who had proved unfaithful to one master, could not be trusted by another.’” He then took possession of Khogong and founded the Kacchhwaha state of Amber 997 years ago, in 1028 AD.

Architecture

Panna Meena ka Kund is a sweet water reservoir, whose water was used for irrigation, drinking and for religious purposes. The stepwell goes down to a depth of 200 metres. There are eight floors and eight level of steps. There are 1300 steps altogether and all descend to the water level. The steps are on three sides, so that there would be ample places for seating purposes.

Intricate ,Criss-cross design of the Steps.
A Chattri, the Promenade and a Bench

The flight of cream-coloured steps is geometrically perfect and the symmetry of the steps is a feast to the eyes. The steps descend and ascend in an intricate, criss-cross way. Another marvel is that, the steps that are used to climb down will not be the same ones to climb up. You have to climb up through a different set of steps. There are no rails on each side to hold while climbing up and down the steps. Descending the steps is now banned for the past couple of years after a drowning incident happened. The corners of the promenade is decorated with chattris, which are ornamental, dome-shaped pavilions. There are benches on this level for resting.

Amber Fort on the Aravalli Range,the Temple and the Pujari

 The ancient Laxmi Narayan Bihari Mandir is built above the stepwell. It was built during the reign of Jai Singh I. It houses the idols of Laxmi Narayan. We could see a pujari, using the water in the kund for religious purpose. The colour of the water is green and there were large, black movements of fish in the water.

The Laxmi Narayan Bihari Temple above  Panna Meena ka Kund

It was not only a Jal Bhandar (water reservoir) in olden days from where women collected water. It was also a place for community gathering especially for women who would share each other’s ideas and gossips. The place is isolated and soothing. During summers, the temperature is 9 degrees lower in the kund area.

There is no entry fee. Service of guides is available. There are some shops outside selling mementos and touristy things.The timing is 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (may vary) and the best time to visit it is during the monsoons when the hills surrounding it will be emerald green; or from October to March when the climate is pleasant.

 

*Kund: A water reservoir; a small, natural /artificial lake or an excavation filled with water.

*Bauri: A well or a tank with steps, a stepwell.

 Reference:Annals and Antiquities of Rajas'than by James Tod. Book II. 

Photographs: Bulbul Sur.









 

 

Dal Lake,Srinagar

The Floating City

Dal Lake, Srinagar

Dal Lake is the most beautiful sight in Srinagar. It is located in the valley of Zabarwan  range of the Himalayas. Dal is mentioned as Mahasarit in ancient Sanskrit texts.It is associated with Goddess Parvati and was once this lake was considered holy. It is surrounded by Shankaracharya hill on three  sides, and Srinagar city on one side. It is a great tourist attraction.We went  to Dal Lake and decided to ride in a Shikara. The boat ride was for one hour and the charge was 1500 rupees. A bit of bargaining had to be done . At first, the ride was scary because the boat was tilting a lot. But later,it became steady.

                                   

 

                                                           Shikara Stand

                              

                                                                    Huge Dal Lake

             

           Floating Market

 Houses and Shops on the Lake 

                                                                                                                                             

Soon, some shopkeepers came to us in shikaras and sold us items such as Kawa,coffee, ice-cream,handicrafts,jewellery etc. Most amazing thing was the floating market on the lake.

There were shopping centres like normal towns and the most famous was Meena Bazaar. There were mobile shops , garment and stationery shops, small hotels and tea stalls, gardens , vegetable mandi , grocery shops: everything which  a person needs  on land.The water is somewhat greenish with little waves, and in some parts seemed dirty. The lake looked like a large expanse of habitable land, populated and thriving metropolis, except it was on water. There were shopping centres ,mobile shops , houses on boats, floating gardens (known as Rad in Kashmiri) , vegetable haat , grocery shops; everything which is needed to survive in a town on firm ground.

 Lotus bloomed on the lake. Eagles flew above. On the shore we saw a tree with an eagle’s nest. We also saw a Brahminy duck .During winters Dal lake will be full of thousands of such migratory birds.

      Hazratbal Road,Dal Lake, Srinagar

                                    Shankacharya Hill        

 

   Char Chinar

                                                                                                    Woody Forest                                         Traffic On Dal Lake    

There is even a small island on the lake called Char Chinar.There are Chinar trees on its four corners, hence the name. It was built by Murad Baksh,brother of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . Lotus flowers and water lilies bloomed in abundance, and the woods comprised of trees like water chestnut,cypress and chinar. 

Our Shikara was nicely decorated with a red carpet spread along the length of the boat. There were many cushions and  the boatman advised us to stretch our legs for greater comfort. There was a seat in the middle too for a single person.

  Brahminy Duck  

                                    Floating Gardens

                                                                                       

The friendly,polite boatman knew many things and told us in detail about the floating vegetation in the Dal Lake.

 

 v      Kashmiri Woman cutting  Vegetation  

 Support for Creepers         

                                                                                           

                                                                                                      Vegetables cultivated on the Lake 

  As soon as the grass grows to a certain height, local Kashmiri women cut it off and use it as

 fodder for cattle. These women make the famous Kashmiri carpets at home during winters and off seasons. He also showed us vegetable cultivation in the water,such as bottle gourd, tomatoes and pumpkin. The house owners  on the banks cultivated such items. The vegetable market is very big and it is held early in the morning. Vegetable vendors come as early as four o’ clock to sell their wares.

As our boat ride continued,  we could see huge house boats on the lake.They were decorated with fancy lace curtains and other accessories. They were like two bedroom houses, complete with balconies and  sitting decks. 

  

                                                Floating Palaces on Dal Lake (House Boats)

      

               

                                                    Floating Lotus Garden                                                         

As our boat progressed we could see melons and cucumbers cultivation but floating in the water. They were not attached to the bottom of the lake. The vegetation was healthy green in colour.Wooden support was made for the creepers.                                  

As we were nearing the shore, we saw three school children;  two girls and one boy, coming back from school, rowing a boat. In fact, they were fighting among themselves on who would row the boat. The boatman explained to us that the children were taught to row boats from early as four years of age. In fact, he showed us a small oar stuck in the ceiling of his boat. It was a small size but it was used to train children.

       

 Small Oar on the Ceiling                                     School Children on a Boat

 

 Photographs: Bipasha Bhardwaj and Shivansh Bhardwaj