Nahargarh Fort (Tiger Fort)

• The Fort Construction

In 1734, seven years after his new capital was built Jai Singh II began to build this small fort. Two and a half-centuries later it still stands tall on a steep rocky face with massive walls and bastions for company. The fort provides an excellent view of the Pink City spread out at its foot. Jai Singh II named it Sudarshangarh (sudarshan chakra: Lord Vishnu’s discus; garh: fort).

There is a strange story behind the change of name of the fort. When work began on it, strange things happened here at night. Every morning the workers would find that the previous day’s entire construction was destroyed. Jai Singh then found out that the land had once belonged to a dead Rathore prince named Nahar Singh and his spirit did not like the sudden disturbances in his spiritual abode. To appease the soul a small fortress was built at Purana Ghat where the spirit could reside, and then the fort was renamed Nahargarh. Later a shrine was also added where the warrior could be worshipped. Nahargarh was used as the treasure of the Jaipur kingdom and even the highest state officials would only be allowed to approach the fort blindfolded.

In the 1880s Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh transformed Nahargarh into a monsoon retreat. He ordered the Raj Imarat, responsible for royal construction projects, to design a pleasure palace within the fort known as the Madhavendra Bhawan. Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, the designer of Jaipur, built this palace with its beautiful interiors of frescoes and stucco designs that was used mainly by the harem women.

• Fabricatinon of the Palace At Kings convenience

Each of the Maharaja’s nine wives was given a two-storey apartment, which were set around three sides of a rectangular courtyard. The maharaja’s personal living wing was built on the fourth side. The architecture was basically Indian with certain European additions like rectangular windows and western styled toilets. The apartments were arranged in such an order that the king could visit any one queen’s room without the knowledge of the others. For his convenience, each queen had her name inscribed above her door. Thakur Fateh Singh, an engineer in the Raj Imarat helped in the design of the queen’s apartments.

• Fort was Protected from Encounters

The fort dominates the skyline by day and forms a breathtaking sight when floodlit at night. However, much of the original fort now lies in ruins except the walls and the 19th century additions including the rooms furnished for the maharajas. The cannons ranged across the Hazuri Burj were supposed to protect the fort but as the city never faced an attack from either the Mughals or the armies of other Rajput kingdoms, they were usually fired to signal the time to the city below. The queens used to come for a stroll here and the royal treasure were kept in the palace until Man Singh II moved it in the 1940s to Moti Doongri. You have to walk past the quiet streets at the base of the hill and then trek 2km up a steep, rough winding path to reach the top of the fort. Once you reach the top you ll have a wonderful view of the Man Sagar Lake, in the middle of which Jai Singh II built a palatial duck blind for his shooting parties..

• Visiting Hours : 1000-1630 Hrs

• Eating Joints

RTDC’s Durg Café

Padao Cafe opens only in the evening. It has a breathtaking view of the city and is an extremely popular sunset point.