Chandrapur Fort
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| Chandrapur Fort | |
|---|---|
| Chandrapur district, Maharashtra | |
  Chandrapur Fort  Chandrapur Fort | |
| Coordinates | 19°57′00″N 79°17′49″E / 19.950°N 79.297°ECoordinates: 19°57′00″N 79°17′49″E / 19.950°N 79.297°E ⧼validator-fatal-error⧽ |
| Type | Land fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of India |
| Controlled by |
|
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Chandrapur Fort (earlier called Chanda Fort) is an ancient fort in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. The fort is located in the Chandrapur city, on the confluence of Erai and Zarpat rivers. The Chandrapur city was confined within fort walls till 1960s-70s, after which the city expanded beyond the fort walls. Today the fort area is called old Chandrapur city.
History[edit]
The Gond people are part of the Adivasi (indigenous people) of India. In ancient times, the Gond diaspora spread throughout central India. After the passage of many kings, who were largely subservient to other rulers, the Gond king, Khandkya Ballal (1470 – 1495) came to the throne. He founded Chandrapur.[1]
As per legends, Khandkya, who resided in Sirpur, was covered in tumours. His wise and beautiful wife nursed him. She asked him to leave Sirpur and move to the north bank of the Wardha River. There, the king built a fort he named "Ballalpur" for himself, and thus founded the city of Ballarpur. One day, while hunting northwest of Ballalpur, the king became thirsty and rode up to the dry bed of the Jharpat river in search of water. He discovered water trickling from a hole, and after drinking, washed his face, hands and feet. That night he slept soundly for the first time in his life.
On his return, the queen was delighted to see that many of the tumours on her husband's body had disappeared. The king said it was the water that had cured him and took his wife to see the water hole. On clearing the grass and sand, they found five footprints of a cow in the solid rock, each filled with water. The water source at the spot was inexhaustible and considered holy. The place was called "Tirtha of Ancalesvar of the Treta Yuga". When the king bathed in the water, all the tumours on his body vanished. That night at the water hole, Ancalesvar appeared to the king in a dream and spoke comforting words. A temple was built over the water hole.
One morning, at the water hole, the king saw a hare darting out of a bush and chasing his dog. Eventually, the dog killed the hare. The king found a white spot on the forehead of the hare. The queen said it was a good omen and a fortified city should he built with its layout based on the chase of the dog and hare. She said the place where the hare was killed would be unlucky for the city. The king's officers, the "Tel Thakurs" built the fortified city. The city became Chandrapur.
Gond rule was lost in 1751 to the Maratha period. The last ruler of the Maratha dynasty, Raghuji Bhonsle III died in 1853 without issue. In 1853, Chandrapur was annexed to British India. During the British colonial period, the area of Chandrapur was called "Chanda".
Features[edit]
The fort is located in the Chandrapur city, on the confluence of Erai and Zarpat rivers.
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Jatpura gate of Chandrapur Fort
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Anchaleshwar gate of Chandrapur Fort
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Pathanpura gate of Chandrapur Fort
Ramala Lake[edit]
Ramala tank was built by Gond King Khandkya Ballal Sah at the time of laying the foundations of the town wall. It runs along the north-east section of the wall, outside of fort and was renovated and repaired with fine stone-ghats by Gond King Ram Sah who named the lake after himself.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Kingdoms of South Asia". The History Files. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
External links[edit]
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