Raisen Fort is one of the important tourist attractions of Raisen, located about 23km away from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The town of Raisen became famous after the construction of this fort on the hill top of the town. Made of sandstone, the Raisen Fort stands as a testimonial to the amazing ancient architecture and quality of the world that still stands tall even after so many centuries. It is presently under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India.
History of Raisen Fort
The origin of the Raisen Fort dates back to the 1200 AD. Until the 16th century, the fort was under the hegemony of numerous rulers from Rajputs to Mughals to Nawabs of Bhopal. It is said that this radiant fortification was assaulted 14 times by various rulers and in spite of it; they could not hurt the first magnificence of the heavenly structure.
Structure of Raisen Fort
The magnificent 800 year old Raisen Fort stands on an outlier of a rock which has a massive stone wall pierced with 9 gateways, 13 bastions, fortifications, domes and the remains of several buildings from the early medieval period. Within the boundaries of the fort, there are four palaces named as Badal Mahal, Rohini Mahal, Itradaan Mahal and Hawa Mahal. The fort had a well maintained water management and conservation system with more than 40 wells. In the surrounding area too, there are many ancient caves and wall paintings that speak about the ancient history and culture of the country. It drowns in a wilderness and a thick undergrowth of vegetation and wild long grass. Adorned with a large courtyard and a beautiful pool in the middle, it is now an abode to hundreds of bats.
The mighty Raisen Fort houses a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The doors of the temple open every year on the occasion of Shivaratri. The pilgrims who visit the temple on other days tie a piece of cloth on the grill gate for the fulfilment of their wishes. Raisen Fort is also a mosque of a Muslim saint Hazrat Peer Fatehullah Shah Baba. It is believed that the shrine can fulfil the desires of the pilgrims.
