# Garhwa Fort

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For city in Jharkhand, see [Garhwa](/source/Garhwa).

Historic site in Shankargarh, Prayagraj district

Garhwa Fort Error {{native name list}}: an IETF language tag in |tag1= is required (help) Garhwa fort, temple complex Interactive map of Garhwa Fort 25°13′34″N 81°35′09″E / 25.226151°N 81.585903°E / 25.226151; 81.585903 Location Shankargarh, Prayagraj district History Built 5th-6th CE Site notes Architectural style Hindu Restored by Archaeological Survey of India Governing body Archaeological Survey of India

**Garhwa fort** is a medieval fortified enclosure, housing a temple complex in [Prayagraj district](/source/Prayagraj_district), [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh), India, belonging to the [Gupta Period](/source/Gupta_Empire).[1][2] It is most known for its [Gadhwa Stone Inscriptions](/source/Gadhwa_Stone_Inscriptions) early 5th-century CE Sanskrit inscriptions by [Chandragupta II](/source/Chandragupta_II) and [Kumaragupta](/source/Kumaragupta). The fort is situated 50 km south-west of [Prayagraj](/source/Prayagraj), on the [Jabalpur](/source/Jabalpur) road, 5 km from [Shankargarh](/source/Shankargarh).[3]

The ancient name of Garhwa was Bhattpraya; in fact, there is a village called Bhattgarh nearby, which is currently named Bargarh. [4] The ruins of the temple were fortified in the 1750 by Vishwanath Singh Deo, a [Baghelkhand](/source/Baghelkhand) ruler belonging to [Rewa princely state](/source/Rewa_(princely_state)). The [fortification](/source/Fortification) consisted of a square enclosure and [parapets](/source/Parapet), giving a fortress kind of look. There are also two bawli (stepwell) in the complex.[4] The temple has many relics belonging to the Gupta period, which date back to as far as the 5th and 6th centuries. The most notable item in the fort is a carved slab of stone, 6-7 feet high, representing all [Dashavatara](/source/Dashavatara) (10 avatars) of [Lord Vishnu](/source/Lord_Vishnu), belonging to the 11th or 12th century.[5][6]

Only 1 km away from the fort complex lies Bhita, an archeological site dating to [Mauryan](/source/Mauryan) and Post-Mauryan era (320 BCE - 185 BCE). Here the remains of an ancient Indian town were discovered, complete with extensive housing blocks along several streets, where some houses had up to fifteen rooms arranged around a large open courtyard. This site was first explored by [Alexander Cunningham](/source/Alexander_Cunningham) in the 1870s, uncovered a series of [5th-century CE Sanskrit inscriptions](/source/Gadhwa_Stone_Inscriptions) of [Gupta era](/source/Gupta_era), and later by [John Marshall](/source/John_Marshall_(archaeologist)). Subsequently, a [Mukhalinga](/source/Mukhalinga), that a Shivlinga with five faces. dating to the 2nd century BCE was also discovered on the site. [7]

## Raghava-Yatra Inscription

On December 18, 2024, one of the earliest known [prashasti](/source/Prashasti) (eulogy) inscription found in India mentioning worship of King [Rama](/source/Rama) during [Ram Navami](/source/Ram_Navami) festival, was discovered here. It dates to [Chaitra](/source/Chaitra) [Shukla paksha](/source/Shukla_paksha) [Ekadashi](/source/Ekadashi), 1152 [Vikram Samvat](/source/Vikram_Samvat) (11th day in Chaitra month, 1096 CE), in the reign of the [Chandela](/source/Chandela) king [Kirtivarman](/source/Kirttivarman_(Chandela_dynasty)) (1060-1100 CE), whose minister Vatsaraja issued the edict. The ruined temple in the Garhwa Fort complex commemorates the site on the banks of the [Yamuna River](/source/Yamuna_River), where Rama, Lakshman, and Sita spent a night on their way to [Chitrakuta](/source/Chitrakuta), from where they proceed to crossing [Ganges River](/source/Ganges_River) at [Shringverpur](/source/Shringverpur).[8]

Sculptures

## Gallery

		- Temple ruins at Garhwa in 1870.

		- Sculpture of [Aditya](/source/Surya), the Sun god, of Gupta period, from Garhwa, Allahabad, 1870s photo

		- [Kurma](/source/Kurma) (Tortoise) avatar and Reliefs at Garhwa, 1897

		- [Matsya](/source/Matsya) [avatar](/source/Avatar) (fish incarnation of Vishnu)

		- A relief

		- Sculptures at Garhwa

		- Brahma sculpture.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY CENTRAL ARCHÆOLOGICAL LIBRARY"](https://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/60606.pdf) (PDF). *Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts*. India: [Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts](/source/Indira_Gandhi_National_Centre_for_the_Arts).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kumar, Arjun (20 December 2018). ["Some iconic, historical landmarks that lent Allahahad its identity & a new name"](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/travel/some-iconic-historical-landmarks-that-lent-allahahad-its-identity-a-new-name/articleshow/67162635.cms). *The Economic Times*. India: [The Economic Times](/source/The_Economic_Times). Retrieved 4 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-o227_3-0)** ["Places of Interest"](https://prayagraj.nic.in/places-of-interest/). *District Prayagraj, Government of Uttar Pradesh*. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-o176_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-o176_4-1) Mishra, Rajneesh (21 January 2021). ["प्रयागराज के गढ़वा किले की जानें ऐतिहासिक दास्‍तान, इतिहास समेटे हुए है यह किला, यूं ही नहीं पर्यटकों को है लुभाता"](https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/allahabad-city-the-garhwa-fort-located-in-shankargarh-area-of-prayagraj-was-built-by-baghel-king-vikraditya-21293917.html). *Jagran* (in Hindi). Retrieved 20 February 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Rashid, Omar (30 March 2013). ["Rising from the ruins"](https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/rising-from-the-ruins/article4558717.ece). *The Hindu*. [The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0971-751X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0971-751X). Retrieved 4 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["गढ़वा के किले में होगा इतिहास का दीदार"](https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/allahabad-city-12719519.html). *Dainik Jagran* (in Hindi). [Dainik Jagran](/source/Dainik_Jagran). Retrieved 4 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-m603_7-0)** Kumar, Arjun (19 January 2025). ["Discovering the rich heritage of Prayagraj: Exploring sites beyond Sangam"](https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/discovering-the-rich-heritage-of-prayagraj-exploring-sites-beyond-sangam-13854226.html). *Firstpost*. Retrieved 19 February 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-o154_8-0)** Kumar, Avatans (9 February 2025). ["A Thousand-Year-Old "Prashasti" Inscription Sheds Light On The Ramayana"](https://indiacurrents.com/a-thousand-year-old-prashasti-inscription-sheds-light-on-the-ramayana/). *[India Currents](/source/India_Currents)*. Retrieved 19 February 2025.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Garhwa Fort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Garhwa_Fort).

[25°13′34″N 81°35′09″E / 25.2262°N 81.5858°E / 25.2262; 81.5858](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Garhwa_Fort&params=25.2262_N_81.5858_E_type:landmark_region:IN)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Garhwa Fort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garhwa_Fort) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garhwa_Fort?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.