Bala Quila

Bala Quila Fort or the Alwar Fort is situated in the Aravalli Ranges, above the town of Alwar. Built in 15th century by Hasan Khan Mewati, it has been under the rule of the Marathas, Yadavas, and the Kachwaha Rajputs. 'Bala Quila' means Young Fort. Laxman Pole is the only metalled road which connects the Fort to the Alwar city. The silver pages of history speak that Pratap Singh, the founder of Alwar state, entered the Fort through this metalled way only.

In 1775 A.D. Kachhwaha Rajput Pratap Singh captured the fort and laid the stones of Alwar city. With a distance of 595 m, the massive fort is visible from the city itself. It gives a majestic view of the town as it is perched on a 300m high cliff. It spreads over an area of 5 km from North to South and 1.6 km from East to West. The forts have six gates which are Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Krishen Pol and Andheri Gate. The walls are finely crafted with ancient scriptures and sculptures.

This huge bala quila was first built in the year 1550 by Hasan Khan Mewati, but this fort has seen different royal houses rule over. Alwar was passed on from one dynasty to another. It has seen the control of Mughals, Khanzadas, Marathas, Jats, Yadavas and Pathans. Despite all that, the fort still stands as tall as ever. This fort is an incredible site to visit amid evenings. The timings for the fort are from 10 am to 5 pm and it is open seven days a week. Aside from its rich history, it also gives an astounding view of the Alwar city from a height of more than 300 meters. This fort is really massive and covers an area of 1.6 kms from east to west and 5 kms from north to south. There are six doors in the fort standing as a statement to the boldness and valour of the Rajputs which is extremely outstanding.

History of Bala Quila
Alwar Fort or Bala Quila was built by Hasan Khan Mewati during 1551 AD. In the subsequent centuries, the fort was passed on from the Mughals to Marathas to the Jats and finally, to the Kachwaha Rajputs. Legend has it that the first Mughal King of India – Babur spent a night over here. During his stay, he took away some of the treasure to give it to his son – Humayun. Later, Emperor Jahangir or Prince Salim, son of the great Mughal King – Akbar, also stayed here when his father banished him from the kingdom because he attempted to assassinate Abul Fazal Mubarak, who was among the nine jewels of Akbar’s court. The room where Jahangir spent his exile in Bala Quila is called Salim Mahal. Later, during the year 1775, the fort was taken over by Pratap Singh, who was the founder of Alwar State. It is said that Bala Quila had one of the strongest securities in Alwar, which can be seen from its 51 small and 15 large towers located on ridge top of the fort.

Structure and Attractions of Bala Quila
The fort extends 5 kilometers in length and hence, it is one of the largest forts in Alwar. It has six entrance gates, namely, Suraj Pol (which was named after Raja Suraj Mal from Bharatpur), Chand Pol, Krishna Pol, Andheri Gate, Laxman Pol and Jai Pol. It is believed that Pratap Singh, founder of Alwar State, entered the fort through Laxman Pol, which is also the only road that connects Alwar and Bala Quila. Each gate in the fort is associated with stories describing the valor and bravery of Rajput soldiers.

Built in a typical Indo – Islamic style of architecture, the walls of Bala Quila are adorned with beautifully crafted ancient sculptures and scriptures, which would definitely transport you back to the golden era. Each Hindu scripture, also known as Puranas, state that a fort represents the strength of a king. Bala Quila is also home to 446 openings for musketry, which are surrounded by 8 enormous citadels.

Besides beautiful stonework, the fort also houses many other stunning structures such as Nikumbha Mahal Palace, Suraj Kund, Salim Sagar Pond, Jal Mahal and 15 striking temples including Chakradhari Hanuman Temple and Sita Ram Temple. Surrounded by the majestic Aravalli Hills, each structure inside the fort represents the opulence of the bygone era, especially the Nikumbha Mahal Palace, which is built using Bengal caned marble pillars along with large latticed balconies.