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The Bahu Fort is located in
Jammu city in state of Jammu and Kashmir. The fort, originally built by
Raja Bahulochan some 3,000 years ago, was refurbished by the Dogra
rulers in the 19th century. The fort is a religious place, and within
its precincts has a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, the
presiding deity of Jammu. The temple is known locally as the "Bave Kali
Mata temple".
The fort is located on a high plateau land overlooking the Tawi River on
its rocky left bank. The forest area that surrounds the fort has been
developed into a well laid out park called the “Bagh-e-Bahu”, developed
on the lines of the Mughal gardens from where a commanding view of the
city of Jammu could be seen.
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The Fort, the Temple and the
Bagh-e-Bahu garden are located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Jammu city
centre. The city road to Surinsar was widened for providing approach to
an Oil drilling exploration project. However, this project was shelved
and consequently the widened new road provided better access to the fort
and the temple, and the number of visitors to these places has since
increased.
The earliest historical recorded link to the fort is that of Raja Jambu
Lochan and his brother Bahu Lochan, sons of a powerful ruler Agnigarbha
II of the Jammu dynasty of Suryavanshi kings. Bahu, the eldest of
Agnigarbha's 18 sons, is credited with establishing the Jammu city and
building the fort. The earlier fort structure was modified over the
years to a stronger fortified structure. The present fort was rebuilt,
probably at the same location as the ancient fort, by Autar Dev, the
grandson of King Kapoor Dev in 1585. Over the years the fort underwent
demolitions and reconstructions from time to time, until Maharaja Gulab
Singh reconstructed the present fort in the 19th century, which was
further refurbished during the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. They first
established temples for their tutelary deities; the image of Mahakali
deity in the temple in the fort was brought from Ayodhya.
The fort structure is located at an elevation of 325 metres (1,066 ft),
opposite to the old town of Jammu. The fortified structure has thick
walls made of sandstones built with lime and brick mortar. It has eight
octagonal towers or turrets connected by thick walls. The towers have
enclosures to house guards. The main entry is fit to allow passage of
elephants into the fort. A water tank with access for pilgrims to take
bath is located on the left entry into the fort. This tank or pond is
6.1×6.1 metres (20 ft) in size and has a water depth of 4.6 metres (15
ft). A pyramidal structure is on the right flank (with very thick walls
to withstand any gun attack) of the fort was an ammunition store. An
underground chamber here was used a prison. This chamber has a secret
exit to escape from the fort in case of any emergencies. The first floor
is lavishly built with arches and decorated with floral designs like a
Baradari or a palace.
The fort, which is a heritage site declared by the state government, is
proposed to be linked with a rope way running from the Mubarak Mandi
Palace, another heritage site in the city. The immediate surroundings
have been converted in to park with fountains and a small lake for
boating.
A popular Hindu festival known as "Bahu Mela" is held during the
Navaratras in the fort area, twice a year, during March-April and
September-October. This attracts a very large number of pilgrims to the
fort and the temple located within it. Every week, Tuesday and Sunday
are special days of worship at the temple. During the main festival
time, special stalls are opened near the fort area selling paraphernalia
such as sweets, flowers, incense, coconuts, red cloth and so forth, to
make special offerings to the deity in the temple.
How to
reach
Nearest airport is Jammu Airport (also known as Satwari Airport (IATA: IXJ, ICAO: VIJU))
is a civil airport in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
The Fort, the temple and the Bagh-e-Bahu
garden are located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Jammu city centre. One can easily reach Bahu Fort from the city by taking local Buses,
Rickshaws, Tongas and Taxis.
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