Vijaygarh Fort

Vijaygarh Fort is a ruined fort located 30 km from Robertsganj in southeast direction in Mau Kalan village in Chatra block near Dhandhraul Dam on Chatra-Siltham road, in Robertsganj in the Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Vijaygarh Fort was ruled by Kashi Naresh of the Narayan dynasty (a branch of Gautam Gotri Bhumihar of Kashi Varanasi). The Vijaygarh raj became a zamindari under the British era and had around 350 villages. Kashi Naresh Maharaj Chet Singh was the last Indian ruler of this fort.

Vijaygarh Fort
Vijay Garh Fort on the Hill
Interactive map of Vijaygarh Fort
Location	Sonbhadra
Coordinates	24.577708°N 83.180845°E / 24.577708; 83.180845

History

The Vijaygarh Fort was ruled by the Kashi Naresh of Narayan Dynasty from Ramnagar Fort Vijaygarh (a branch of Bhumihar of Varanasi). In the 17th century, the fort was attacked by Kashi Naresh Maharaja Balwant Singh of Varansi, who conquered it from the Chandel security guards of Mughal. The fort was captured by Balwant Singh, the Raja of Varanasi. Kashi Naresh Maharaja Chet Singh was the last Indian ruler of this fort. Later the British restored half of the estate and gave it to the Chandel ruler of Vijaygarh in form of zamindari. The Chandel zamindar of Vijaygarh had 350 villages during British era.

Attractions

Vijaygarh Fort contains several old temples and red stone pillars bearing inscriptions of Vishnuverdhan feudatory of Samudragupta. The fort is famous for its rock inscriptions, cave paintings, many statues and its perennial ponds. There are four ponds inside the premises of the fort which never dry. More than half the area of Vijargarh is covered by the steep and rugged hills of the Kaimur Range. Between the two tanks, there was a palace known as Rang Mahal (Hindi: रंग महल) which had artistic rock carvings and assumed as palace of Princess Chandrakanta.

There is a fair (Urs) organized every April, and people from different religions and sects attend.

Vijaygarh Fort has both historical and archaeological importance. The fort and Princess Chandrakanta were pertinently described in the novel Chandrakanta by Devaki Nandan Khatri

In the Hindu month of Shravana, Kānvarias (Kanwar Yatra) collect water from Ram Sagar and then start their holy journey to the Shivdwar.

Gallery

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  Ganesha statue at Vijay Garh Fort
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  Entrance at a ruined building at Vijay Garh Fort
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  Entrance of Vijay Garh Fort
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  Lake 1 on Vijay Garh Fort
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  Lake 2 on Vijay Garh Fort
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  View from the top of Vijay Garh Fort
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  Ruined Building at Vijayagarh Fort
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  Shivalingam and Goddess Parvati's Statue at fort
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  Walls of Vijaygarh Fort
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  Broken rooms at Fort
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  Ruined building complex
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  Pillars of ruined building at Vijaygarh Fort
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  Wall of Fort and Dhanraul Dam in background

See also

• List of forts in Uttar Pradesh
• Chandrakanta a novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri