Forts Of India Mehrangarh Fort Rajasthan Ep 24

Towering high above the city of Jodhpur stands proud Mehrangarh, chiseled out of a rock or so it appears. The ramparts of the fort are more than 120 meters high and one can see on a clear day right all the way to the horizon. It is said when there is no haze you can even catch a glimpse of Kumbargarh, another mighty fort which is about 120 kilometers away. There are thick walls of the fort and many impregnable gates that protected this fort against invaders. About 320 kilometers from Jaipur, the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur in Rajasthan is ranked high among the most majestic forts of India. It is built on a high hill and the tall ramparts are raised straight up from the hard rocks. Thick walls stretching out give the impression of a shield that could foil any invader. Stories of valor and chivalry of the rulers of Jodhpur are entwined with the fort's history. Because Mehrangarh towers over the city, you wake up to it. Everywhere in Jodhpur you wake up and you see the fort. So could you imagine three or four hundred years ago when it stood on the trade route from Afghanistan into India that it would have been a beacon just to locate yourself, to navigate your way across the desert, our desert. Jodhpur was founded by the Rathore Rajputs who had moved into the comparatively secure desert from Kannauj where the pressure of foreign invaders was becoming unbearable. One of them, Rao Jodha, established a new kingdom. The rulers of Jodhpur soon made a special place for themselves in the Marwa region and obtained high ranking positions in the Mughal court. The beauty of Mehrangarh fort really is its location. It towers over the environment. It has this absolutely spectacular height and it's really the only mountain in the entire area. And so to conceive hewing the fort out of that mountain and then it really controls the entire environment. There's a sort of sacred belief that you rule all that you can see. The walls of this fort built on a hundred meter high hill are based on hard flat rock. Adequate arrangements have been made to protect it. Rectangular towers are built on strong high walls. It was almost impossible for the enemy to conquer this fort. From the top of the fort you can clearly see the outer fortifications and you can see the entire morphology of Jodhpur. It's so legible just within those fort walls. I could imagine 300 years ago watching the enemy advance upon the fort. It would have been quite awesome. The approach road is narrow and steep. To reach the inner section one has to pass seven heavily fortified gates. These gates are an excellent example of Rajput military architecture. What makes it unique is the setting itself, the hill itself and the response to that. So it has a cluster of the palaces at one end, a complete straight facade at the other end and a wide terrace that is overlooking the city in the third end. A large number of cannons are placed on top of the walls. They have been given evocative names like Kalika, Khilkhila and Bhawani. It is believed that the Rajputs didn't appreciate the significance of artillery. This doesn't seem to apply to Jodhpur. The large guns placed at a height were enough to terrify the enemy. Abhay Singh fought in Gujarat as the Mughal Subedar. When he came back he brought a lot of the cannons from Ahmedabad and that area. So some, not all, of the cannons in Mehrangarh have come from campaigns that those local rulers fought in other areas. There are many beautiful palaces inside the fort. These are decorated with balconies and windows adorned with fine stone carvings. Balconies projecting out from the walls show that the Mughal Rajput style was in vogue at that time. The architecture has evolved over a period of 550 years. Each ruler added something but it's all organically integrated. You can't really make out which came when. It's grown out of the rock. The rock is also part of the structure and the fortifications. The unique part is that you have the robust, very strong rock defensive aspect of the fort. And at the same time you've got very delicately carved intricous palaces with the latticework and the stonework inside. So it makes a very strong contrast. I think that's what the appeal of the fort is. Elaborate decorations on the walls suggest that fierce rivalry was raging among contending Rajput princes not only on the battlefield but also in the domain of art and architecture. Just the stature of the fort, that is its magnificence. It's the fineness of the architectural detail in the chajjas, in the doors and windows on this enormous rock massive. So to me it's the exquisiteness of it because it's solid stone with the finest, finest carving and the most perfect detailing. As much today as it was 300 or 400 years ago. The plazas or the chowks in Mehrangarh are one of its most remarkable features. The backdrop of exquisitely decorated palace walls enhances their attraction. These open courtyards were used as a venue for family gatherings and public functions. The ruler was crowned in the Shingar Chowk. Courtyards were the living spaces where you had all the rituals and the activities and the festivals being celebrated. So they had all these interlinking of courtyards and also visual connection with the courtyards. Of areas in the Zenana which were otherwise barricaded. Zenana Deori was built towards the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century. The Ranivas, residential apartment for the queens has been particularly well constructed. Corridors marked out by pillars and arches provide a sense of open space. Delicately carved stone screens served as curtains. The upper part of the Zenana Deori is the innermost section of the fort. Here dwelt the queens, many of whom were connoisseurs of art. They encouraged and patronized musicians and artists. Even though they were not the artists of the festival, they were good teachers. They were the ones who taught the people here. There is a Sikar. Phool Mahal was commissioned by Maharaja Abhay Singh, who used this as Diwane Khas. Colorful glass paintings render this palace exceptionally beautiful. The Tanjore style of painting on glass uses bright colors, whereas in Jodhpur, subtle pastel hues are preferred. A lot of these styles that Rajputs develop, whether in architecture, painting, costume, this, that and the other, is very deeply influenced by the Mughal. And there's a deep relationship between the two. The wall paintings in the Phool Mahal are more attractive than paintings in other palaces. No one style predominates here, and the painters seem to strive to balance different modes. The superb depiction of romantic heroes and heroines, ragamala and scenes from Geet Govind, has made them timeless classics. Some people believe that the inspiration for the construction of Mehrangarh Fort comes from Gwalior, where stands an even older and a large fort. But most historians agree that this is an unfair comparison. It was the British art historian Percy Brown who has commented, that its grandeur and beauty, the fort of Mehrangarh, cannot be compared to any other fort in Hindustan. And we appreciate the truth of this statement, as we stand here in this beautiful Moti Mahal. Moti Mahal was built by Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. This provided the venue where rulers had formal meetings, with ministers and tributary chieftains. The decorations in coloured stone and glass, indicate that by this time, European influence had reached India, and started impacting on taste. Fort was initially, construction started in 15th century, but what you really see, the structures belong more to the 17th, 18th and 19th century. So most of the construction was done by the rulers much later on. Takht Vilas, built in the 19th century, was the bedroom of Maharaja Takht Singh. Its walls are painted over with scenes from Dola Maru and Krishna Leela. This was rebuilt by Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. We are so committed to the utterly ephemeral, and we are so absorbed in the irrepressibly trivial, that we will never be able to go beyond ourselves, and do something which will outlive us. They have done it, and they were like us. That they were kings, or that they were artists, poets, patronised by the king, doesn't alter the fact that they were human beings, who, like us, lived, but unlike us, tried to go beyond themselves, and to reach out to something which was larger than what was given to them. The wall paintings in Takht Vilas are excellent specimens of the Marwar school of miniature paintings. Many of these show a European face, and many a time the painter appears to be following European style. Large, colourful balls hanging from the ceiling remind one of Christmas decorations. The Mehrangarh Fort has stood witness to vicissitudes of history. It remembers many battles fought in the past, in which brave warriors achieved martyrdom, laid down their lives happily, defending its honour. Memories of the feudal past are fading, and today, in the first quarter of the 21st century, the fort has carved out for itself a new identity. It is recognised the world over as a living museum, a rich repository of our shared cultural heritage. It is replete with brilliant paintings and other objects of art. The Mehrangarh Fort Museum is a veritable treasure trove of rare exhibits. Sedan chairs, cradles and saddles have been lovingly preserved here. Objects of everyday use by the rulers have also been beautifully displayed. These bear testimony to the prosperity of Jodhpur, as well as to the talent of the artists in the state. I think the wonderful thing about Mehrangarh Fort is the fact that it has a museum which is so eloquent of the history of Mehrangarh. It's very evocative of the lifestyle that existed in those days, and I think to some extent, even some functions. The former royal family continues its ritual functions in the fort. But that's the beauty of keeping it alive, keeping it contemporary, and yet always evoking its powerful historic past. Jaswant Thara was erected by the wife of Maharaja Jaswant Singh, one of the most illustrious rulers of Jodhpur. Maharaja Jaswant Singh had initiated an ambitious scheme to provide drinking water for his sun-scorched subjects and for irrigation. He continues to be revered by the local people. The use of white stone against the very dark red stone of the area is a very interesting interplay because it ensures you never forget your forefathers. So it's right there for anyone in Mehrangarh to see at all times. So that respect of your forefathers almost sparkles out of the environment at you, and that interrelation I think is wonderful the way they've maintained it. The repair and conservation work in Mehrangarh was started by Maharaja Gaj Singh. This ongoing project, conducted with the assistance of scientists and specialists, has inspired many others. With a growing population, the city has been expanding and has reached the base of the fort. Illegal constructions have begun to disfigure the fort's beauty. In the fort and many monuments what I notice, even those which are under the ASI like the Taj and so on, one of the biggest problems is the surrounding areas. The government needs to be very careful now. They have to protect the surrounding areas. In Mehrangarh, one becomes acutely aware that every monument is connected to its environment. It can't be conserved in isolation without its environs. This fort was built over centuries with great love and care. The same determination and affection is now required for its conservation.