Kangra Fort Travel Guide: History, Structure, Tourists Experience, Places to Visit Nearby, How to Reach (2024)
The Kangra Fort is in Kangra, in Himachal Pradesh. The Fort has historical and cultural importance and is today a tourist’s location.
The Kangra Fort is one of the oldest, with historians believing that it is more than four thousand years old. Geographically, it is on the banks of the Majhi river and Baanganga.
The Historic Experience of Kangra Fort
Through its history, the Kangra Fort has seen several rulers and owners. Originally, Maharaja Katoch built the Fort. Katoch Maharaj fought on the Kaurava’s side during the Mahabharata War. The Katoch dynasty goes back to the Trigata Kingdom. The Trigata King Susharma Chanda finds a mention in the Mahabharata, as he was the one who distracted Arjuna long enough for Abhimanyu to get into the Chakravyuha.
The Kangra Fort Visit: Structure of the Fort & Tourists Experience
It is still a formidable structure, so tourists get an idea of the kind of architecture and quality of construction. There is a unique lion-shaped spigot offering cool drinking water to anyone who visits the place.
The Kangra Fort also has small prisons, giving an idea of the lifestyle of that time. There are a couple of doorways into the Fort, and the smallest is the Ranjit doorway. The walls have a carving of the Lord Ganesha and the Devi Amba, as well as Lord Hanuman. The carvings are a unique design.
The Kangra Fort is well maintained, and you have steps that go all over the structure. The main door is known as the Jahangari door. You will also see the other smaller doors, the Ahani and the Amiri doors.
Post that, you will see the Darshani Gate. Going through the Darshan gate, you see several statues and an Ambika Devi Mandir as well as an Adinath temple. The other temples here are the Shitalamata Temple, and Lakshmi Narayan Temple.
Going to the Kangra Fort is a simple trek and the climb to the terrace is a slight trek. You will see that the visit to the Kangra Fort is a good photography experience as well.
The Kangra Fort is a must-visit for anyone who is interested in ancient architecture and wants to soak in ancient Indian culture.
The main terrace of the Kangra Fort gives a visually appealing view of the entire Kangra and is something that nobody should miss. There is a lot of greenery around the Fort. There is also a forest behind the Fort, which is home to a tree that’s almost 300 years old.
Important Places To Visit Near Kangra Fort
There are some other places of interest that you can visit here, like the lake that lies six kilometers away from the Kangra Fort.
Legend has it that the Kangra Fort was home to several riches, and therefore many Kings have looted and plundered it. Everyone from Alexander the Great to the British tried to control the Fort. The Fort saw several attacks on it in its lifetime as well.
Experts say that the Kangra Fort had more than 21 treasure wells. Some people think that the lake behind the Fort has treasure as well.
The myth about the treasures, the ancient history connects, and the fact that the Kangra Fort is one of the oldest in India makes it a must-visit for anyone on a tour of Forts in India.
Places To Visit Near Kangra Fort
The Kangra Fort is a short ride away from Dharamshala. You will take about an hour or a bit more to explore the Kangra Fort. There are some places near the Kangra Fort that you can visit, like the Maharaja Sansar Chand Katoch Museum.
Please note that photography inside the Museum is not allowed. There is a souvenir store as well as a café in the museum, so you can buy a memoir and even chill in the museum itself.
There are other places of tourism and historical interest around the Kangra Fort, like the Bhagsunath Temple and the Jwalaji Temple.
You can also visit the Tatwani Hot Springs and the Bajreshwari Temple. Once done, you can also visit the Masroor Rock Cut Temple and the Bagalmukhi Temple.
Another place of interest around the Kangra Fort is the Kareri Lake. Twenty kilometers away is Dharamshala, the second capital of Himachal Pradesh.
How To Reach Kangra Fort?
To reach Kangra, you will first need to reach Dharamshala. Dharamshala is connected well in terms of train, bus, and airport. The nearest airport is the Kangra Airport, also known as the Gaggal Airport. Dharamshala is in the northernmost region of India. The Kangra Fort is about a half an hour drive from the Kangra/Gaggal airport. The nearest railway station to Kangra is the Pathankot railway station. The railway station is about ninety kilometers away from Kangra. If you plan to travel by bus, direct buses to Kangra ply from New Delhi. You can also board a bus or taxi from Kangra.