Gagron Fort

The city of Jhalawar was founded by a Rajput Jhala Zalim, from the city of Jhalawar, Gagron Fort is among the impressive ancient forts constructed in Rajasthan. The present structure of this fort was built over several centuries with its construction beginning as early as the 7th century. However, it was first established in 1195 AD by Raja Bijaldev of the Parmara Empire. As per legend, the place was also known as 'Galkangiri' as it is believed that the powerful sage Garg Rishi achieved immense reparation and meditation in this fort. Gagron Fort is the only hill and water fort in Rajasthan and has been included in the list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The fort is surrounded from three sides by the tranquil waters of Ahu and Kali Sindh. Gagron is a region that has been anointed by the tremendous courage of Khinchi emperors and the optimum sacrifice of the lives of Royal Rajput women through the practice of Jauhar, wherein women sacrificed themselves rather than facing capture. This place was once the supreme city in the Malwa region, long before the famous cities like Bundi, Kota and Jhalawar were recognized as primary states on the sizable map of the nation. He established this township, known as Chaoni Umedpura, as a cantonment. The township was surrounded by dense forests and wildlife.Jhala Zalim Singh often came here for hunting and he liked the place so much that he wanted to develop it as a township. The objective to develop this place as a military cantonment was because Maratha invaders passed through this central place from Malwa towards Kota to capture Hadoti states.