One of India’s oldest fort – Ranthambore Fort

Built in the 10th century, the Ranthambore Fort is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan. Situated within the Ranthambore National Park, the fort is named after two hills-Ran and Thanbhor. The fort was used by kings from various dynasties as early as from the 11th century. Rulers like Kutub-ud-din, Allaudin Khilji, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and Rao Hammir have controlled the fort over a period of time.

By the 17th century, the fort was converted to a prison, and a lot of people have been killed here. There are travel accounts that record them, too. After the Mughals gifted the fort to the Maharaja of Jaipur in the late 1900s, it has remained with the royal family of Jaipur since. The forests nearby was their hunting grounds.

The fort, which is located on the 700-foot Thanbhor hill, is open to visitors. It is a long climb to the top, though. From the top of the fort, you might be able to spot tigers or leopards in the national park surrounding the fort. The fort complex has a number of important temples and the Lord Ganesh Temple attracts a lot of devotees.

The fort and the national park is easily accessible from Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur. Jaipur has the nearest airport.