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Visit to Narwar Fort continues
The Fort of Narwar
The Fortress of Narwar is situated on a bend of the Sindh River on an irregularly shaped hill upwards of 400 feet in height, just 50 miles to the south south west of Gwalior and to the same distance to the west north west of Jhansi.
Shape and Size : - Its shape is peculiar and may be likened best to the head and neck of a duck. The central portion or the head is called Majha Mahal or middle quarter and also Bala Hisar or the citadel, as it commands the other divisions of the fort.
The neck, or northern quarter is called Madar-hata as it contains a shrine of the famous Muhammadan Saint Shah Madar. The duck’s Bill is called Dulha-Kot or the bridegroom’s fort, because the last of the Kacchwaha princes is said to have made his escape from Narwar by a postern gate at its east end. The citadel is cut off from Madar Hata by a high wall, 600 feet in length, and from Dulha Kot by another wall about 450 feet in length.
The circuit of the Majha Mahal is rather more than 2 miles, that of Madar Hata is nearly 2 miles and that of dulha Kot only three quarters of a mile. The whole circuit is therefore 5 miles. The English traveler Finch mentioned the circuit as 5 or 6 kos , and Ferishta stated that the circumference is 8 kos.
Principal Gates :- The Principal entrance lies in the hollow forming the duck’s throat to the Alamgiri Darwaza. From here there is a flight of 360 steps to the Hawa Paur or Gaumukhi Gate via the Saiyidon ka Darwaza and the Piron Paur or the Pir’s Gate. The lower gate was not built during the reign of Aurangzeb, but was renamed, as it was observed by Finch in 1610. The Saiyidon ka darwaja bears a short inscription dated in 1545 AD. Its original Hindu name is unknown.
To be continued...