Visit Bhadra Fort: A Popular Tourist Area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (2024)
The Bhadra Fort is in the walled city area of Ahmedabad, and it is a popular tourist area, as well as a place of historical interest. The ASI and the Government are taking care of the location, and it is the cultural center of the city. Plan to visit the Bhadra fort? Read this article to know about what to expect and get an idea of what lies in store.
Bhadra Fort History
The Bhadra Fort is a formidable building and has several doors on all sides, both big and small. The Bhadra fort is historically important for Gujarat and India. Ahmad Shah 1, the founder of Gujarat commissioned and built this fort during his time. Some locals also call it the Arak fort. The total area of the Bhadra fort or the Arak fort is about forty acres.
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There’s some lore about the name of the fort as well. Experts say that the Sultan built a ‘Bhadra’ (great) gate for the entrance, and that’s where it got the name Bhadra fort. The Bhadra Fort is on Court Road, Old City, Bhadra, Gujarat.
The Bhadra fort has another unique entry in Indian history. It is this from this fort that the only female Commander-in-Chief of the Maratha empire, Umabaisaheb Khaderao Dabhade fought a war against the Mughal Sardar Joravar Khan Babi.
The Bhadra fort has seen the British, the Mughal, and the Maratha rule. Under the British, it was a prison.
The Bhadra Fort Experience
The Bhadra Fort is a unique culmination of modern times and the historical times, as you will see some offices in the fort. Though the exterior of the Bhadra fort is intact, most of the interior structures and buildings are ruins. The prominent color you see all around is light brown. Also, you don’t see carvings and sculptures on the walls and other structures inside the Bhadra fort. The visit to the Bhadra fort or Arak Fort is a surreal experience, because it’s in the middle of the city, surrounded by contemporary buildings.
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You can spend several hours marveling at the tall arches and the entries, the clock at the top of the ceiling – something we don’t usually see in the other forts in Maharashtra and Gujarat, and getting an idea of the lifestyle of the past.
One mesmerizing view is from one of the windows of the upper part of the Bhadra Fort, where you can see the busy streets of the city from a place that’s a chunk of history.
The best part of traveling to the Bhadra Fort is that one doesn’t have to travel too much into the interiors. Several vendors and commercial buildings are surrounding the fort, so you never feel like you have left Ahmedabad city during your visit to the Bhadra fort.
The most visually stunning aspects of the Bhadra fort are the doors, which are more or less intact, giving you an idea of the quality and strength of the structures built back in the day.
The Bhadra fort is one of the oldest known structures in Gujarat. One unique aspect of the Bhadra Fort is the clock that’s affixed on one of the walls, above the door. Experts claim that it is about 200 years old. As you go upstairs in the Bhadra fort, you get an eagle-eye view of the surroundings, which is a surreal experience.
You can spend around an hour at the Bhadra fort if you plan to explore everything in it. There are no tour guides available, so you will need to research and look around on your own.
The best time to visit the Bhadra fort is early in the afternoon, and so you should pack to handle the Gujarat heat. Keep those sunglasses and hat handy while traveling to Gujarat.
The authorities are taking good care of the Bhadra Fort and have cordoned off the area. Though it is a popular tourist location, you don’t see many tourists because it is easily approachable, and most of the locals have seen the fort in all its glory.
Places to Visit Near Bhadra Fort:
The Bhadra fort is one of the many tourist structures that the Gujarat government has renovated. It joins the list of buildings like the Surat Castle. The renovation has given the Bhadra fort a coat of color as well, so the color combination all around is a dull brown instead of the grey earlier.
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Bhadra Fort is in Ahmedabad, and Ahmedabad is not just a finance capital but a tourist location in Gujarat as well. So, you have several places that you can visit near the Bhadra fort. These places are not visual spectacles but part of Indian history and culture. You should go and see the Rani Roopmati Mosque, which is about a kilometer away from the fort. The Mosque is one of the most beautiful structures that are a combination of Hindu and Muslim architecture styles. Very near to the Bhadra Fort is the tomb of Ahmed Shah, the founder of Gujarat. You also have the Shaky Minarets at the Sidi Bashir Mosque.
If you are to stay overnight, you have several accommodation options all over Ahmedabad at every budget. If you are planning to book your hotel rooms online, make sure that you read the details and the fine print about the services and the amenities that the hotel offers. Some of the rules might not be mainstream like some hotels don’t allow unmarried couples to share the room, yet others don’t allow pets, so on and so forth. The hotel rooms available in Ahmedabad range from a thousand rupees per night to about seven thousand, depending on the service and stay experience that they offer.
How to Reach Bhadra Fort?
Ahmedabad connects well with almost every city in Indian with rail, road, and air. Multiple flights ply between Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and other such places. Ahmedabad Station connects with most locations in Mumbai. Also, you can travel by bus to Ahmedabad from most places in India.