‘Lohagarh’ the literal translation of which means “Iron Fort” is located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The 17th century was a tumultuous time in Indian history with the British slogging their guts out to expand their dominance on the whole of India, need was felt by the then king of Bharatpur, Maharaja Surajmal to put in place a structure which will repel any untoward attack on the security of his land.This exigency of safety was met with the construction of the Lohagarh Fort.

The Lohagarh Fort is in every way as strong as the Maharaja intended it to be. This fort, according to the historians, has witnessed and successfully dodged the onslaught of the British, not once or twice or thrice but four times. Finally, the British had to give in and never dared to launch another attack on this land as they became aware that to fire their way past this structure of strength was a Herculean task. Such is the strength and magnificence of the Lohagarh Fort.

The Jats lived their life by a very simple creed. The functionality and purpose of the structures they built were more dear to them than any superficial outward appearance (something quite not in line with the Mughals, don`t you think?). As such they rarely indulged in ostentations display of architectural dexterity, and the same goes with the Lohagarh Fort. This however does not mean that the Lohagarh Fort has very little to offer. While it is true that from the outside it is an impregnable structure of strength. But on the inside expect to find palaces (of which, the Mahal Khas, Kamara palace and the palace of Badan Singh, need special mention), towers that bear testimony of their victory over the mighty Mughals and the British (Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj come to mind), museums capturing the lives and times of the then kings, art galleries, parks and of course, temples.

So, if you want to run your fingers through the soul of the Lohagarh Fort and feel the cool of its structure, we invite you to put the Lohagarh Fort on your ‘To visit’ List. See you there!