Bhadra Fort is located in Ahmedabad and is a monument in which many palaces, mosques, temples and other structures were built.
The fort was built by Ahmed Shah and the city was named Ahmedabad because of his name. This post History and Architecture of Bhadra Fort, Ahmedabad, India will provide you information about the fort along with the structures inside the fort.
Many people from India and abroad visit this monument.
So let’s start today’s post History and Architecture of Bhadra Fort and if you like to read about more monuments then you can read by clicking here (click here) ).
Full History Information and best Architecture of Bhadra Fort, Ahmedabad, India
History and Architecture of Bhadra Fort, Ahmedabad, India
Bhadra Fort is located in Ahmedabad and was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 AD.
The fort had many lots of the temples, great mosques, best palaces and other structures. The fort was named because of the presence of the Bhadra Kali temple built during the reign of the Marathas.
It is also said that Sultan Ahmed Shah built the Bhadra gate to enter the fort and that is why the fort is called Bhadra Fort.
Also Read : Purana Qila
Bhadra Fort under Gujarat Sultanate
Ahmed Shah I built the Bhadra Fort after establishing the Muzaffarid dynasty in Karnavati. He changed the name of the city to Ahmedabad. The fort is also known as the Arak fort and is built on the banks of the Sabarmati river. This fort is spread over an area of about 43 acres.
Bhadra Fort under Mughals
The Bhadra Fort was ruled by about 60 governors of the Mughals. Later the Mughal emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb ruled Ahmedabad. A governor of the Mughal Empire named Azam Khan built Azam Khan Sarai for the rest of the travelers.
Bhadra Fort under Marathas
The Peshwa and Gaekwad jointly ended the Mughal rule and established the Maratha Empire in 1583. The British defeated the Marathas in the war between 1775 and 1782 but they returned the fort after signing a treaty with the Marathas.
Bhadra Fort under British
The British captured the fort in 1817 and used the fort as a prison. This fort was under the British till independence.
Architecture and Design
The total full area of the main fort is about 43 acres which includes 14 circular structures, mosques, palaces and many other structures.
Now some parts have been removed and presently the fort looks like the unfinished Manek Burj. The fort was built on the basis of Islamic architecture as it has arches, balconies and lattice work.
Bhadra Fort Gate
The fort has eight gates out of which three are big gates, three are of medium size and two are small gates. In 1545, the fort was occupied due to urban development so Mahmud Begada built a new fort.
The circumference of the outer wall of the new fort was 10 km. The number of gates was 12 while the number of bastions was 189.
The main entrance was also known as Piran Pir Darwaza which is also known as Bhadra Darwaza. To the north of the fort, there is another main gate called Lal Darwaza and outside this gate is situated the Bhadra Kali temple.
Ganesh Bari is the third gate located in the southwest. The two gates in the west are Baradari Darwaza and Ram Darwaza.
Ahmed Shah Mosque
Ahmed Shah Mosque was built by Ahmed Shah in 1414 AD. The mosque was used by the royal people to offer prayers. The outer wall of the mosque has pointed arches.
There are five large domes along with smaller ones which are beautifully ornamented and supported by pillars. It is considered to be the oldest mosque of Ahmedabad.
Maidan Shah
Maidan Shah was an open space located on the east side of the fort. There is a long and wide square with palm, date palm, citron and orange trees. This place was used for royal processions and polo sport.
Teen Darwaza
Teen Darwaza was built in 1415 by Ahmad Shah I. The Teen Darwaza or Triple Darwaza was the entrance to the fort leading to Maidan Shah. Due to the three arches of 25 feet high, it is called Teen Darwaza. In the center of Maidan Shah was a fountain with a raised roof.
Manek Chowk
Manek Chowk is in the center of the city which is a market place. Here people can buy vegetables from the vegetable market in the morning. Afternoon time is for jewelery market and evening time is for food and snacks. Another popular thing that can be found in Manek Chowk is Kulfi.
Azam Khan Sarai
Azam Khan Sarai was built in 1637 by Azam Khan. The height of the entrance gate is 5.49 meters which leads to an octagonal hall. This building was used by the travelers to rest. During the British times, this building was used as a hospital and prison. To hang the prisoners, there was a gibbet which was used during the British period.
Bhadra Kali temple
During the Maratha reign, a room at Azam Khan’s Sarai was converted into the Bhadra Kali temple. The temple includes a black idol of Goddess Kali with four hands. There is a legend which says that there was a watchman named Siddiqui Kotwal who saw Goddess Lakshmi.
The guard told him that he would not leave the fort until he got the permission of the king. The Kotwal cut off his head so that the goddess would stay in the city and the city would become rich.
Clock Tower
The British brought the clock tower and installed it in the fort. At night, a kerosene lamp lit the tower, which was replaced by an electric lamp in 1915.
Conclusion – bhadra Fort
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