Jaigarh Fort, Bikaner

Jaipur, the capital of northern Indian state of Rajasthan is one of the most attractive cities of India. The credit of transforming a largely barren landscape into a splendour in pink goes to the brave hearted Rajputs and aristocratic princes of Jaipur. The legacies that they left in the form of magnificent palaces and forts gives the Jaipur landscape an enchanting look even to this day. Leading the pack of attractions of the 'Pink City' is the Jaigarh Fort- an example of the great expertise that Rajputs had over building military structures.

Built by Sawai Jai Singh in the year 1726 to bolster the defence of the area, Jaigarh is the best example of a full-fledged citadel. A simple looking fort, no palaces or other delicate structures have been built inside the fort. The architecture makes clear Sawai Jai Singh's intentions of using the fort purely as a military structure. Also known as the Victory Fort, Jaigarh is located some 15 kms away from the city centre on a cliff. The fort is surrounded by huge battlements. The inside walkways have been built in such a way that a clear view of all the sides are easily available. There is a steep road leading to Dungar Darwaza-the main entrance of Jaigarh fort. The view that one gets of Jaipur city from the fort is simply amazing.

The chief attraction of this rugged military structure is Jaivana, world's largest cannon on wheels. The cannon was built in the year 1720 in the foundry of Jaigarh. Although a debatable issue, some historians are of the firm opinion that the cannon was fired only once. It is said that the huge cannon had the potential of causing immense damage if fired upon approaching enemies.

Another striking feature of Jaigarh are the water channels built inside the fort. All the channels were part of the rainwater harvesting system. There are a total of 3 underground tanks at the fort. The largest of them had the capacity to store 60,00,000 gallons of water. Thus, it was clear that proper arrangements were in place to store essentials during times of war.

Jaigarh fort also houses a beautiful museum. The museum has a very impressive collection of armory used during that period. This collection includes swords, shields, guns, muskets and cannon balls. Some old photographs of Jaipur's rulers and military generals have also been kept in the museum.

Another place that stores some of the precious items of Rajput warriors is Shubhat Niwas, the meeting hall of warriors. One could surmise the circumstances under which military strategies were devised after visiting the place.