38 Most Popular Forts in India

Shaniwarwada is a historical fortification in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. Built in 1732, it was the seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire until 1818, when the Peshwas lost control to the British East India Company after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. Following the rise of the Maratha...Read More

The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is the largest fort in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day town of Chittor. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the...Read More

Torna Fort, also known as Prachandagad, is a large fort located in Pune district, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is historically significant because it was the first fort captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1646, at the age of 16, forming the nucleus of the Maratha empire. The hill...Read More

Amer Fort or Amber Fort is a fort located in Amer, Rajasthan, India. Amer is a town with an area of 4 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The town of Amer and the Amber Fort were originally built by the Meenas, {{|date=August 2020}} and...Read More

The Red Fort is a historic fort in the city of Delhi (in Old Delhi) in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its...Read More

Bhujia Fort, also spelled as Bhujiya Fort, is a fort located in the outskirts of the town of Bhuj in the district of Kutch, Gujarat, India. The fort is built atop Bhujia Hill overlooking the town. The fort was constructed for the defense of the city by Jadeja Chiefs. The construction of Bhujia fort...Read More

Bekal Fort was built by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi in 1650 AD, at Bekal. It is the largest fort in Kerala, spreading over 40 acres (160,000 m2). During the Perumal Age Bekal was a part of Mahodayapuram. Following the decline of Mahodayapuram Perumals, Bekal came under the sovereignty of the Mushika or Kolathiri or Chirakkal Royal Family in the 12th century. The maritime importance of Bekal increased under the Kolathiris and Malabar became an important port town.

Chitradurga Fort or as the British called it Chitaldoorg, is a fortification that straddles several hills and a peak overlooking a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort’s name Chitrakaldurga, which means ‘picturesque fort’ in Kannada, is the namesake...Read More

Bidar Fort is a fort situated in the Bidar, Karnataka, India. The fort, the city and the district are all affixed with the name Bidar. Sultan Alla-Ud Din Bahman of the Bahmanid Dynasty shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and built his fort along with a number of Islamic monuments. There...Read More

Daulatabad Fort, also known as Devagiri or Deogiri, is a historical fortified citadel located in Daulatabad village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the Yadava dynasty (9th century–14th century CE), for a brief time the capital of the Delhi Sultanate (1327–1334), and...Read More

Gwalior Fort (Gwāliiyar Qila) is a hill fort near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. The fort has existed at least since the 10th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. The fort...Read More

Kumbhalgarh (literally “Kumbhal fort”) is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, in the Rajsamand district near Udaipur of Rajasthan state in western India. It is a World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Built during the course of the 15th century by...Read More

The Qutb Shahi dynasty ruled the Golconda Sultanate in south India from 1518 AD to 1687 AD. The Qutb Shahis were descendants of Qara Yusuf from Qara Qoyunlu, a Turkoman Muslim tribe. After the collapse of Bahmani Sultanate, the “Qutb Shahi” dynasty was established in 1518 AD by Quli Qutb...Read More

Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the city of Jaipur in 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,...Read More

Murud-Janjira is the local name of a famous fort and tourist place situated on an island just off the coastal city of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. Murud-Janjira Fort is situated on an oval-shaped rock off the Arabian Sea coast near the port city of Murud, 165 km (103 mi) south of Mumbai. Janjira is considered one of the strongest marine forts in India. The fort is approached by sailboats from Rajapuri jetty.

Srirangapatna Fort is a historical fort located in Srirangapatna, the historical capital city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Built by the Timmanna Nayaka in 1454. The fort was fully fortified and the architecture was modified with the help of French architects to meet the growing needs of...Read More

Leh Palace is a former royal palace overlooking the town of Leh, Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas. It was constructed circa 1600 by Sengge Namgyal. The palace was abandoned when Dogra forces took control of Ladakh in the mid-19th century and forced the royal family to move to Stok Palace.It is nine...Read More

Uparkot is a fort located in east side of Junagadh, Gujarat, India. A fort and town was established at the foothills of Girnar hill during reign of the Maurya Empire and continued to be used during Gupta period, but it lost its importance when the capital of Saurashtra region was moved from Junagadh to Vallabhi by Maitraka. Chudasamas settled around Junagadh from 875 CE according to bards when they acquired Vamansthali (Vanthli) from Chavda ruler.

Jaigarh Fort is situated on the promontory called the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the Aravalli range; it overlooks the Amer Fort and the Maota Lake, near Amer in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The fort was built by Jai Singh II in 1726 to protect the Amer Fort and its palace complex and was named...Read More

The Kangra Fort is located 20 kilometers from the town of Dharamsala on the outskirts of the town of Kangra, India. The Kangra Fort was built by the royal Rajput family of Kangra State (the Katoch dynasty), which traces its mythological origins to the ancient Trigarta Kingdom, mentioned in the Mahabharata epic.

Raigad Fort is a famous fort on the hill in Mahad in Raigad district, Maharashtra. It was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji and made it his capital in 1674. This fort is located in Sahyadri mountain range. It is 820 meters (2700 ft) above sea level. He has a special identity on the Maratha Empire. Chhatrapati...Read More

Ranthambore Fort lies within the Ranthambore National Park, near the city of Sawai Madhopur, the park being the former hunting grounds of the Maharajahs of Jaipur until the time of India’s Independence. It is a formidable fort having been a focal point of the historical developments of Rajasthan....Read More

Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is believed to be one of the very few “living forts” in the world (such as Carcassonne, France), as nearly one fourth of the old city’s population still resides within the fort. For the better...Read More

Jhansi Fort or Jhansi ka Kila is a fortress situated on a large hilltop called Bangira, in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India. It served as a stronghold of the Chandela Kings in Balwant Nagar from the 11th through the 17th century. The Jhansi fort is located in the middle of Jhansi city. It is 3 km from the Jhansi Railway station. The nearest airport is Gwalior, which is 103 km from Jhansi. You can also reach the fort by getting down at the Jhansi Museum Bus Stop.

Sindhudurg Fort is a historical fort that occupies an island in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort was built by Shivaji. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, 450 kilometres (280 mi) south of Mumbai. It is a protected monument.

Vijaydurg (sometimes written as Viziadurg), the oldest fort on the Sindhudurg coast, was constructed during the regime of Raja Bhoja II of the Shilahar dynasty (construction period 1193-1205) and restructured by Shivaji.Earlier, the fort encompassed an area of 5 acres (1 acre = 4840 square yards or...Read More

Lohagarh Fort (or Iron Fort) is situated at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India. It was constructed by Bharatpur Jat rulers. Maharaja Suraj Mal built numerous forts and palaces across his kingdom, one of them being the Lohagarh Fort, one of the strongest ever built in Indian history. The inaccessible Lohagarh...Read More

Junagarh Fort is a fort in the city of Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. The fort was originally called Chintamani and was renamed Junagarh or “Old Fort” in the early 20th century when the ruling family moved to Lalgarh Palace outside the fort limits. It is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan...Read More

Neemrana is an ancient historical town in Alwar district of Rajasthan, India, 84 km (52 mi) from Gurgaon; 122 km (76 mi) from Delhi and 150 km (93 mi) from Jaipur on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in Neemrana tehsil. It is between Behror and Shahajahanpur. Neemrana is an industrial hub.It is the site...Read More

Palakkad Fort is an old fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town of Kerala state, southern India. It was recaptured and rebuilt grandly by Sultan Hyder Ali in 1766 ACE and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala. The Palakkad Fort is said to have existed from very ancient times but believed...Read More

Rajgad (literal meaning Ruling Fort) is a hill fort situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. Formerly known as Murumdev, the fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Shivaji for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the Raigad Fort. Treasures discovered from an adjacent fort called Torna were used to completely build and fortify the Rajgad Fort.

Malhargarh is a hill fort in western India, near Saswad, 30 kilometers from Pune. It is also known as Sonori Fort due to its location in Sonori village. The fort was named for Lord Malhari and was the last fort built by the Marathas in about 1775.

The Sahyadri range to the west of Pune in Velha...Read More

Purandar Fort is known as the birthplace of Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fort is repeatedly mentioned in the rising of Shivaji against the Adil Shahi Bijapur Sultanate and the Mughals. The fort of Purandhar stands at 4,472 ft (1,387 m) above the sea level...Read More

The Orchha Fort complex, which houses a large number of ancient monuments consisting of the fort, palaces, temple, and other edifices, is located in the Orchha town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The fort and other structures within it were built by the Bundela Rajputs starting from the early...Read More

Warangal Fort is located in Warangal District, Telangana, India. It was the capital city of Kakatiyas and Musunuri Nayakas. It appears to have existed since at least the 12th century when it was the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty. The fort has four ornamental gates, known as Kakatiya Kala Thoranam,...Read More

Sinhagad is a hill fortress located at around 35 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Some of the information available at this fort suggests that the fort could have been built 2000 years ago. The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand as proofs for the same.
Previously...Read More

Pratapgad (Marathi: प्रतापगड) literally ‘Valour Fort’ is a large fort located in Satara district, in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra. Significant as the site of the Battle of Pratapgad, the fort is now a popular tourist destination.

Pratapgad fort is located...Read More

Shivneri Fort is a 17th-century military fortification located near Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra, India. It is the birthplace of Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire.

Shivneri is known to be a place of Buddhist dominion from the 1st century AD. Its caves, rock-cut architecture and...Read More