Garhwa Fort, Shankargarh, Uttar Pradesh

Garhwa Fort, Shankargarh, Uttar Pradesh

Garhwa Fort is a Hindu Temple Complex dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Garhwa Village near Shankargarh Town in Bara Tehsil in the Prayagraj District in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The fort complex is protected as monuments of national importance by the central Archaeological Survey of India.

History

The temple is believed to be built by the Guptas. The Shiva Linga was stolen by the British though the Sakthi Pita is seen among the recovered artefacts within the temple complex. Seven inscriptions from the reign of Chandra Gupta, Kumara Gupta and Skanda Gupta have been found in this site. Garhwa was called as Bhattagram / Bhattapraya during the Gupta period. The fortifications around the temple was built in 1750 CE by the Baghel King Vikramaditya.

The Fort Complex

The fort complex spreads over two-kilometer area. There are bastions on the four corners of the fort complex with easy access provided by a flight of steps. The most important structure in the fort complex is the Gupta era temple. It is situated in southwestern part of the fort. The temple measures about 55 feet in length and 30 feet in width with an east entrance. The temple was built in panchakona design. The temple consists of sanctum and a pillared mandapa.

The sanctum is square on plan. The Shiva Linga enshrined in the temple was stolen by the British, but the Sakthi Pita can be seen among the recovered artefacts within the complex. Two tanks can be seen on the eastern side of this temple. There are remains of medieval era structures in the complex. There are two stepwells in the complex. It is said that the stepwells never go dry. The temple has many relics dating from the Gupta period till British era.

The most notable relic in the complex is sculpture representing the ten incarnations (dasavathara) of Lord Vishnu, belonging to 11^th or 12^th century. There is a 10 feet tall image of four armed Vishnu in padmasana near the main temple. Sculptures of Lord Buddha, Ganesha & various other deities, architectural fragments, and inscriptions of Gupta period can be seen in the complex.

Most of the sculptures have been shifted to the State Museum of Lucknow for safety reasons. The sculptures of the Gupta period were made carved from pink sandstone while the sculptures of the medieval era were carved from grey sandstone. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning to build a museum in the complex.

Connectivity

The fort complex is located at about 5 Kms from Shankargarh, 5 Kms from Shankargarh Bus Stand, 7 Kms from Shankargarh Railway Station, 18 Kms from Bara, 32 Kms from Mau, 44 Kms from Prayagraj Airport and 47 Kms from Prayagraj. The fort complex is situated at about 5 Kms to the north of Shankargarh Bus Stand on Mau to Prayagraj route.

Location