The State of Gujarat boasts of a number of Historical Forts and Monuments in Junagadh. Built and rebuilt repeatedly, the Uperkot Fort, Junagadh, one of the two fortifications of the city, has of late become one of the main Tourist attractions in Junagadh. Adding to the advantage of the fort being less thronged has helped it retain the ethnicity without losing any bit of its charm.
About Uperkot Fort of Junagadh in Gujarat :
The Uperkot Fort was built by Chandragupta Maurya in 319 BC and has been extended by several emperors, since then. It also has been besieged 16 times and it was also abandoned during the period of 7th to 10th century until it was rediscovered out of an overgrown jungle. At the entrance of this fort, there are three gates and the walls of this fort are 20 m high. The premises of this fort also comprise of a mosque, which has been made out of demolished Hindu temples in the place. The nearby attractions of Uperkot Fort include Tomb of Nuri Shah, two baolis and several Buddhist caves.
Attractions of Uperkot Fort of Junagadh in Gujarat :
Cannons
The fort has many interesting exhibits like the two cannons placed on the western wall and believed to have been cast in Egypt. The bigger one is the colossal 5 m long cannon called ‘Nilam Tope’. It was cast in Egypt in 1531 AD and left behind by a Turkish admiral who was assisting the Sultan of Gujarat against the Portuguese at Diu in 1538 AD. The other cannon is known as ‘Kadanal’.
Step Wells: There are also two interesting large step wells (‘vavs’) here. The 11th century Navghan Kuva has a circular stairway that descends over 50m down into the well. The Adi Chandi Vav descends down 170 steps.
Buddhist Caves
The fort has many exciting exhibits like the two guns placed on the western wall and believed to have been cast in Egypt. The bigger one is called the Nilamtope and the other one is known as Kadanal. In and around the fort one can find numerous Buddhist caves belonging to the 200 B.C. to 200 A.D era.
In the Uperkot is a two storied cave said to belong to the initial century which is believed to be a BuddhistChaitya cave. There are also Buddhist caves at Bava Pyara Math found below the Southern walls ofUperkot arranged in three rows. Scholars believe that they are Buddhist caves perhaps belonging to the period between 200 B.C to 200 A.D.
How To Get There :
By road:
Junagadh is 327 km from Ahmedabad, 102 km from Rajkot, and 113 km from Porbandar, and is accessible by ST bus from each of these places, as well as from other cities in Gujarat by way of Veraval and Rajkot. Bus is recommended as the best way to get to Junagadh
By rail:
Two express trains run on the Ahmedabad-Veraval line, one at night (with a rather inconvenient schedule) and one by day. Ahmedabad is 7.5 hours away by train. Junagadh is also on the Rajkot-Veraval line, with Rajkot 2.5 hours away, and Veraval 2 hours.
By air:
The nearest airport is at Keshod, 40 km from Junagadh. To get around the city, unmetered rickshaws are the easiest; the municipal bus system is not recommended, especially for visitors. Walking is certainly the best way around the central area of the old city or Uparkot, and for a wider range, you can rent bicycles or motorbikes at Chittakhana Chowk or Hotel Relief.