The impregnable fortress of Kalinjar fort, near the temple-city and World Heritage Site of Khajuraho, should be on the must-visit list of all history and art lovers around the world. Kalinjar Fort is also a goldmine for landscape photographers as the panoramic view from the Kalinjar fort is mind-blowing
Reasons that make Kalinjar fort a must visit tourist attraction
Kalinjar fort has an undeniable place in Indian History. Many decisive battles were fought for the possession of this strategically located fort in ancient, medieval, and modern times, but the military aspect alone does not exhaust the importance of Kalinjar. The place is also a symbol of cultural and religious glory.
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- Also read – Tourist destination near Chitrakoot
- Also Read 15 most beautiful places to visit in Khajuraho
If you are looking to learn about the history and places to see in Kalinjar then hang around till the end as I am going to take you on a fun trip to Kalinjar via this blog so hang around till the end. Let me start with a brief history of Kalinjar before diving into our experience of our trip.
Also Read 15 most beautiful places to visit in Khajuraho
kalinjar fort landscape image
Our Trip to historical pearl of Bundelkhand, Kalinjar Fort
We started for Kalinjar from Banda in our Honda Accent while it was raining heavily all around. Driving in rain made our trip more fun. We took 1 stop just outside the town for tea and headed towards Beautiful Kalinjar Fort. Our car started climbing up, so did our excitement.
I had not imagined that this place will be such a natural beauty when we first planned this trip. I had imagined it to be an old fort but it was much more than that. The panoramic views from the fort are one to die for. We clicked a bunch of breath-taking images of Kalinjar fort and the natural landscape around the fort
we parked our car at a distance as we decided to take a long walk around the region. Government has got nice roads built for tourists to walk around the Kalinjar fort freely through the jungle. Rain was drizzling when we were roaming around and it gave us the best feeling.
We met many people there who had come from a great distance. People from Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh came here to see this beautiful historical and cultural marble.
Neelkanth Shiva Temple
Neelkanth Temple is one of the main attractions of Kalinjar. It was built by the Chandela ruler Parmaditya Dev. Apart from the huge 18-armed statue in the temple, the Shivalinga is of blue stone.
According to ancient Hindu Mythological Texts(Puranas), Lord Shiva had drunk the poison that came out of Manthan of the ocean and he got severely sick. lord shiva came
to Kalinjar and drank the water coming from the hills and stayed here for some time to avoid death. Ancient people have built a temple, the Neelkanth temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his sacrifices for humanity.
Kalinjar fort Ticket price
You will require to buy a ticket before entering the Fort area. Ticket price is very reasonale, it is 25 rs for Indian tourists and 300 rs for non-Indian tourists. Revenue that Government collects from the tickets is used for the house-keeping of the fort. Local governement had also arranged for security, you can see CCTV cameras at different places along with many security guards.
Places you must see at Kalinjar Fort
- Nilkantha Temple
- Raja Aman Singh Palace
- Koti tirth (Kot-Tirth)
- Mrigdhara
- Rang Mahal
- Moti Mahal
- Bhagwan-Sej
- Siddh-ki-gupha
- Islam Shah mosque
- Rani Mahal
- Venkat Bihari Mahal
- Patal Ganga
- Sita Sez
- Hanuman Darwaza
- Sita Kund
- Budhi Budha talab
- Chaube Mahal
- Pani-ka-aman
Kalinjar fort photos taken on the trip
Kalinjar fort geography and what made it impregnable my invaders
Kalinjar is 90 kilometres west-southwest of Allahabad and 60 kilometres north-west of Rewa. The fort is perched atop an isolated flat-topped hill in the Vindhya range, which rises 800 feet above the plain. The ascent is tolerably easy in the lower half, but the middle third is quite steep, and the upper third is nearly perpendicular and unreachable.
The fort’s main body, which runs east to west, is rectangular in shape, measuring approximately a mile long and half a mile wide. A big projecting spur over a quarter of a mile square, which overhangs the town, can be seen at the north angle, and another projection of about the same area, but triangular in shape, can be found in the middle of the southern face.
The distance between any two projections’ extreme points is about a mile. The total area is therefore less than one square mile, despite the fact that the parapet walls are approximately four miles long.
History of Kalinjar fort
According to a Persian historian Firishta, the Town of Kalinjar was established by Kedar Raja along with the Kalinjar fort in the 7th century. Kalinjar fort has a rich history where different rulers ruled over this fort during the 5th-18 century and it has only been impregnated once.
Kalinjar fort during Chandela dynasty rule
Kalijar fort earned popularity during the Chandela dynasty rule over Bundelkhand. The Chandela rulers used the title Kalanjaradhipati (“Lord of Kalanjara”) and it clearly shows their connection with the Impregnable Kalinjar fortress. Khajuraho was the spiritual capital of Chandela’s where Kalinjar was the war capital of Chandela kings. Read about places to visit in Khajuraho
This world-famous fortress was the war front of Chandela kingdom and it had shown the worst days to many invaders, including Mahmud of Ghazni and Sher Shah Suri, who died when he tried to capture the Kalinjar fortress.
Attack on Kalinjar fort and battles
Many Muslim invaders and Hindu kings kept attacking Kalinjar Fort and failed miserably in capturing this impregnable fortress until Mughals (King Akhbar) won and took over this fort. Mughals ruled over this fort for a few hundred years. Maratha ruler Peshwa Bajirao won back this fort from the Mughals.
In 1812 East India company took over this fort when they fought Maratha’s in Second Anglo-Maratha. Maratha ceded Bundelkhand to East India Company under the treaty of Anjanagaon
For Detailed history of Kalinjar Fort, please visit https://www.kalinjarfort.com/history/kalinjar-fort-history
Map of Kalinjar Fort
How To reach Kalinjar Fort
This place is very accessible, and you can easily reach here by any route. People from nearby places prefer personal vechile which can get them till the front gate of fort. People who are coming from outside can come to Banda/Atarra and the hire a car and easily get to this place.
- Air: Nearest airport are Khajuraho (M.P.) – 130 km. and Allahabad (Bamrauli) – 210 km.
- Rail: The nearest railway station are Atarra – 38 km. and Banda – 56 km.
- Road: Kalinjar is linked by road to the important centers.
Kalinjar fort in bad condition
Fort of Kalinjar has been ignored by the people and local government for a long time, it was not managed properly and were not safe to visit in night. People continued visiting this place during savan and karthik month (August and october) but hardly anyone tried to put some efforts to improve its condition.
Recently government started to work towards developing this historic place as tourist attraction. They are building places for tourists to rest, also arranging areas for canteen and other stuff. During my visit to this place, i have noticed multiple CCTV cameras all around the area along with many security gaurds. I also noticed ongoing construction at many places.
Final words
This panorama of Kalinjar is marked by the famous temple of ageless Neelkantha, the tallest ‘Kala Bhairava’ image, and a number of high-class sculptures in and around. This place is mist crowded during the monsoon and winter season. Shravan and Kartik months are the busiest months as people come here for Lord Shiva darshan.
Its clear that the government is putting some efforts to develop this site as tourists attraction of Bundelkhand. This site is perfect of a day trip with friends and families. This site has got it all, it is a cultural, sprititual, religious and natural heritage. This place is also great for photographers and they can capture some really good landscape photos of the panoromic view that is visible from the fort.
Frequently asked questions about Kalinjar fort
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Where is Kalinjar fort located?
Kalinjar Fort is located in the Banda District of Uttar Pradesh, the Bundelkhand region of central India. It is 105 km from the temple-city and World Heritage Site of Khajuraho.
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Who ruled over Kalinjar fort?
It served several dynasties including the Guptas, the Vardhana Dynasty, the Chandelas, Solankis of Rewa, Mughals, and finally the Marathas before falling in hands of the British government in 1812
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Who built Kalinjar fort?
According to a Persian historian Firishta, the Town of Kalinjar was established by Kedar Raja along with the Kalinjar fort in the 7th century. Some historians also suggest that Kalinjar was built by the early kings of the Chandela dynasty.
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Where is Kalinjar Fort (Durg) is located?
Kalinjar Durg is located in the Banda district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This fort is located in the Vindhya Mountains of the Bundelkhand region. It is just 120 km from the popular World Heritage site, Khajuraho.
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Who destroyed Kalinjar fort?
In 1023 Mahmud of Ghazni attempted to seize the fortress but failed. In 1202 Qutb-ud-din Aybak took the fort and destroyed the temples. He also destroyed many temples in Khajuraho.
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How to book ticket for Kalinjar Fort
You cannot book online ticket to visit Kalinjar fort, you have to come here and buy the ticket before entering. Ticket price for Kalinjar fort is very reasonable. It is 25 Rs for Indian tourists and 300 Rs for Foreigners.
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Is Kalinjar Fort safe to visit?
Kalinjar fort is very safe to visit throughout the year. Proper security is provided for tourists at this place. You can see many security guards and CCTV cameras all around the area.
