A walk through Ahhichatragarh Fort in Nagaur is like a walk
thorugh history with its various power struggles and intrigues. Ahhichatragarh Fort
lies in the town of Nagaur , which is at one end
of the Thar Desert midway between the cities of Jodhpur
and Bikaner . Built between 1119 and 1121, the fort
was a much coveted prize for rulers as Nagaur was a stragetic trade center.
Successive maharajas and sultans battled for control and each king made
additions to the fort. The fort’s
strategic location made it a very important possession and several battles were
fought as a series of rulers attempted to retain supremacy. The Ahhichatragarh Fort has two temples; one
is devoted to Krishna and the other to
Ganesha. Emporer Shah Jahan built a
mosque inside the fort complex, when it was under the control of Mughals. The visitor can see the Rajput and Mughal
influenced palaces and buildings, temples, and mosques along with carved
baoris, gardens, and a much admired water system, which used to recycle every
drop of water and it is in the shadow of this impressive fort that the annual
Nagaur Cattle Fair is held. Reputed to
be second largest cattle fair in India, the Nagaur Fair sees camel races,
tug-of-war, and folk music and dance, apart from main business of cattle trade. The nearest airport is at Jodhpur 137 km from Nagaur. Nagaur is well connected by railways from
major Rajasthan cities.
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