Forts in Madhyapradesh- Dhar Fort

Dhar Fort

About:


The Dhar Fort is the most important historical monument in Dhar which was the capital of the legendary king Bhoj. It is situated at a distance of about 3 km from the central area of the town.

The fort is situated to the north of the town. It stands on top of a small hill. It was constructed out of red sandstone. The architecture of the fort is a combination of Hindu, Mughal and Afghan style and this is its uniqueness. The Dhar fort in Madhya Pradesh contained the palace of the Raja. The best part is that this fort has been well preserved and you can get great views of the surrounding area from the ramparts of the fort.

In 1933 Shri Raghunath Krishna Fadke and well known Murtikar was invited to Dhar by Maharaja of Dhar to prepare some Murti’s (statues) in chhatri of Maharaja. Shri Fadke established his studio at Khanderao Tekri which was called as FADKE STUDIO later. Shri Fadke was given PADMASHRI for his famous Murti “Tatwa Chintana” in 1961. In 1971 he was also awarded with Doctorate. He died in 1972. Statues Made by him were established at Dhar, Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Mumbai. Presently also several statues made by him & his successors are plased at FADKE STUDIO. These Statues give feel of reality. Almost 25,000 people visit to FADKE STUDIO every year.

Location info:

Address:Shri Vihar Colony, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India.District:Nearest City:Best time to visit:

Climate/Weather:

History:

When Alauddin Khalji came to power in Delhi, Islamic influence started spreading in Dhar. He took initiative and started the construction of the Dhar Fort. In the year 1344 the work was completed. The Dhar Fort still stands after the passage of so many years.

Dhar was an important centre at the time of the Great revolt of 1857. The Dhar Fort was captured by the Indian freedom fighters and kept in their possession for four months from July to October.

In the year 1305, A.D. the whole of Malwa passed into the hands of Al-ud-din Khalji when Dhar and Mandu were also captured. Dhar continued to be under Delhi Sultans until the reign of Muhammed II. At that time, Dilawar Khan Ghuri was the Governor of Malwa. In 1401 A.D. he assumed royalty and established an independent Kingdom of Malwa, with his capital at Dhar. His son and successor, Hoshang Shah moved the capital to Mandu. Hoshang Shah died in 1435 A.D. and was entombed in the splendid mausoleum which still exists at Mandu. On Hoshang’s death his son, Ghazni Khan, succeeded him. He ordered his capital Mandu to be called “Shadiabad” (the City of Joy). He, however, had a very short reign, as he was poisoned to death by Mahmud Khalji in 1436 A.D. Mahmud Khan ascended the throne and inaugurated the reign of the Khalji Sultans in Malwa. Khalji Sultans continued to rule Malwa till 1531 A.D. Later Malwa was captured by Sher Shah and was placed under the charge of Shujat Khan. Shujat Khan was succeeded by his son Baz Bahadur. Mandu and its environs reverberated with the stories of romance of Rupmati and Baz Bahadur. When Baz Bahadur was defeated and put to fight by the Mughal army, his beloved Rupmati took poison and put an end to her life to escape dishonour.

Historically and culturally, Dhar District has occupied an important place through its epoch-ancient, mediaeval and modern. Dhar, known as Dhar Nagari in ancient period and Dhar in mediaeval period has had the privilege of being of the capital city, both in the ancient and in the early mediaeval periods.

The ruled over a vast territory around Malwa for 400 years from the 9th to the 13th centuries. Vakpati Munja and Bhojadeva were the most famous rulers of this dynasty. Munja was a great general, a poet of repute and a great patron of art and literature. His court was adorned by poets like Dhananjaya, Halayudha, Dhanika, Padmagupta, the author of Navasahasan kacharita, Amitagati, etc. He excavated the Munja Sagar at Dhar and Mandu and built beautiful temples at a number of places.

Bhojadeva, the most illustrious of the Parmaras, was one of the greatest kings of ancient India. His name became a household word in India not only as a soldier but also as a builder, a scholar and a writer. Authorship of a large number of books on a variety of subjects like grammar, astronomy, poetics, architecture and asceticism is ascribed to him. He shifted his capital from Ujjain to Dhar, where the established a university for Sanskrit studies. It is known as the Bhoja Shala in which was enshrined the image of Goddess Saraswati. He rebuilt temples, including the magnificent temple at Bhojapur. Bhoja also created a large lake near Bhojapur.

Interesting things to do:

Interesting things to Visit:

  • Bhoj Shala
  • Killa (Old Fourt)
  • Kalica Mata Mandir (Temple)
  • Ladh Masjid
  • Man-Tung-Giri (Jain Tirtha)
  • Nityanand Ashram
  • Bandichod Dargaha
  • Maulana Kamalludin Chisti Dargaha
  • Vijay Mandir
  • Bada Ganpati Mandir
  • Puratatva Sangrahalay

Mobile range info:

How to reach?

Nearest Railway Station:Convenient railhead is Ratlam (124 km) and Indore (94 km) on the Delhi-Bombay mainline.
Nearest Airport:the nearest airport is Indore, about 100 km away which is connected to Delhi, Bombay, Gwalior, and Bhopal.Road Transport:Regular bus service connect Mandu with Indore, Dhar, Mhow, Ratlam, Ujjain, and Bhopal.

Nearest Visiting places:

Nearest Petrol Pump:

1.PETROL PUMP
SH 31, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 250 m

2.Reliance petrol pump
SH 31, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 1.6 km

3.Petrol Pump

Indore, Madhya Pradesh 54.3 km

4.Petrol Pump
Indore, Madhya Pradesh 54.3 km

5.Petrol Pump

Indore, Madhya Pradesh 56.1 km

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation:

Thira Bagh Palace, former British residency.

Things to carry:

Water Bottles

Hats/Caps

Cell Phone

Digital Camera

Tips & Suggestions:

Help Line/Phone Number:

Police Station:

1.Dhar police station
Officer’s colony, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 1.1 km

2.Police Petrol Pump
Sadar Bazar, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 57.6 km

3.Police Thana
South Tukoganj, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 60.1 km

4.BARTALEN
dhar, Madhya Pradesh 6.6 km

5.1.POLICE STATION
Madhya Pradesh 62.0 km

Nearest Hospital:

1.Patidar Hospital
Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 500 m

2.Mittal Hospital
Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 750 m

3.Bhoj Civil Hospital
Queen Park Colony, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 900 m

4.Civil Hosipital Sardarpur
Sardarpur, Madhya Pradesh 34.0 km

5.Chothram Hospital
Manik Bagh Road, Indore, Madhya pradesh 57.8 kmSociety/Community Phone Number

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