Nahargarh Fort was the last in my last and my Jaipur journey finished after visiting this fort. The last day of my Jaipur visit was dedicated for Nahargarh Fort and I left my place at around 10AM. I got a bus to Nahargarh Fort from Narayan Singh Circle. There is no direct bus to the fort as the fort is located on the top of hill. From the fort point, you need to book a cab or an auto which will take to you the fort. It’s good if you are in group so that the rent can be shared or you can talk to other people standing there and can share a cab. You can also bargain and can find good deal. The previous day I visited Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort.
The fort is located in the foothills of Aravali. This fort is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jaipur. From the top of the fort, you can get a breathtaking view of Jaipur city. The fort was named Sudarshangarh Fort at first. Later on, it came to be known as Nahargarh Fort which means abode of tigers. The fort is connected to Jaigarh Fort through its fortifications.
Information for Visitors – Nahargarh Fort Jaipur
- Visiting Time: All days from 10 AM to 5:30 PM
- Visiting Duration: Maximum 3 Hours
- Entry Fee: Rs 50 for Indian tourists and Rs 200 for foreign tourists
- Photography: Allowed
History of Nahargarh Fort
The fort was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, in 1734. The fort was built as a hunting retreat for the royalty at the Aravali Hills of Jaipur. The fort was never attacked but there were some historical events such as treaties with Maratha forces that fought with Jaipur in the 18th century. The king of Jaipur Sawai Ram Singh moved the Europeans of the region during the 1857 Indian Munity which also included British Resident’s wife for protection.
Sawai Ram Singh extended the fort in 1863. There is a mention of Dirgh Patel who built a range of palaces at the fort during 1883 – 92 which at an expense of around 3.5 lakh rupees. Nahargarh was a hunting residence used by the Sawai Kings. Sawai Madho Singh built Madhavendra Bhawan which had his personal suites along with suites for the queens. The rooms still have beautiful decorations.
The Bhawan has been adorned with exquisite sculptures making it a Sculpture Park. This is a joint project between Saat Saath Arts an NGO and the Government of Rajasthan and the park is opened to everyone since December 17th, 2017. The park has become a place to showcase the artwork of artists. The park has around 24 top national and international artists showcasing 52 artworks.
The legend behind Nahargarh Fort
There is a very famous legend connected with Nahargarh Fort. When I was at the fort, I heard a man saying the same. As per the legends, Nahar Singh Bhomia was a Rathore prince and his spirit had cursed the fort. The legend further says that the land belonged to Nahar Singh Bhomia and Jai Singh built the fort here. This made the spirit of Nahar Singh angry. The king started the construction. In the morning, they would do some construction and the spirit would destroy everything. When the king came to know about this, he built a fort inside the fort dedicated to Nahar Singh. A temple was also built here. After this, the spirit was happy and did nothing.
The renovation of this fort was carried out by Sawai Ram Singh in 1868. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh planned to turn the fort a luxury retreat. He ordered Raj Imarat for constructing another fortress inside the fort for recreation purposes which was named Madhavendra Bhawan. The architect of Jaipur, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya has done architecture along with interior designing, wall painting, and stucco patterns.
Main Attractions of Nahargarh Fort
Looking at the architectural layout of Nahargarh Fort, the fort is a fine example of Indo – European architecture. The fort has several places worth exploring. Madhavendra Bhawan is a major tourist attraction here. The interior of the place is beautifully decorated with murals and wall paintings. The Bhawan is divided into 12 apartments which identically similar to each other. All of these have bedrooms, kitchens, stores, toilets, lobby, etc. The core structural design of these suites is a blend of Indian architecture with European style which includes lavatories and rectangular cases. There are hallways connect the suites and rooms with each other.
Jaipur Wax Museum – Nahargarh Fort Jaipur
Entrance Fee – INR 350 (INR 500 for Wax Museum + Sheesh Mahal)
The newest addition to the attraction of Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur Wax Museum is located inside the fort next to Sheesh Mahal. This wax museum is the first wax museum that is set up in any heritage site. The museum exhibits a total of 32 wax statues. The museum has wax exhibits of several national and international personalities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Messi, Albert Einstein, Michael Jackson, Kalpana Chawala, Maharani Gayatri Devi, Avengers, Rabindranath Tagore, and many more.
Sheesh Mahal is located on the top floor of Vishramghar. The place is really a stunning artwork of mirror. The thikri mirror work here dates back to centuries. It is said that around 2.5 million glass pieces have been used and around 100 craftsmen worked hard to bring jaw-dropping effects of optical illusions. There is also a souvenir shop in the museum from where you can buy gifts.
I walked all the way to Nahargarh Fort
I walked all the way from the place where the bus dropped me to Nahargarh Fort. I thought the fort must be around a couple of kilometers. But when I started walking, I kept on walking and walking and walking. I just had one bottle of water which was not sufficient but I managed somehow. Walking all the way to the top, I was totally wet in sweat and kind of exhausted as the sun was over my head. Finally, after walking around 7 – 8 KM, I reached the fort. I had my GPS tracker on my phone and it kept informing me every kilometer. I love solo traveling. I didn’t have any camera gear, just a camera and I clicked all the photos using different techniques. I did photography on my mobile phone.
On the way to the fort, I stopped at several places to click and shoot. There was a temple on the way, which had a tower-like structure from where I enjoyed an amazing view of the city. I clicked several shots of Jal Mahal from the way.
Nahargarh isn’t just a famous tourist attraction but also attracts Bollywood such as the famous movie Rang De Basanti. Few scenes from Shuddh Desi Romance were also taken here. The fort has a famous restaurant Once Upon a Time. There is also a food court. I had a bad experience as the order wasn’t served in more than half an hour and had to leave.
