A Drive to the Ruins of the Taragarh Fort, Ajmer || Admiring the Remnants of the Fort and a Drive to Remember

When we visited Rajasthan in October 2022, we reached Ajmer on a cloudy day. Since Taragarh Fort is located on the top of a hill, our visit to the site turned into a surreal experience because of the low clouds and light rain.

While the fort itself is mostly in ruins, you do stumble across traces of it in form of dilapidated stone walls and ramparts. We did not know this when we started our climb. And this turned out to be a blessing. Because if we had known this earlier, we would probably not have driven up the hill.

If you are concerned about the timings of Taragarh Fort in Ajmer, it's open all the time.

But we are so glad we did. The hill not only offered a pleasant drive, but also some beautiful views of the sprawling Ajmer City below. There were some really quirky sights, such as a camel on hill top, surrounded by clouds. This may have been something that the camels are used to, but we definitely were taken by surprise.

The fort was constructed in the 8th century by Ajayaraja Chauhan and at that time was also known as Ajaymeru Durg. In the early 11th century, Muhammad of Ghazni laid seige on the fort. However, he was unsuccessful in the attempt and was also injured in the course of it.

The fort was known for its strength and strategic importance and therefore, there were repeated attempts to conquer it. In the 15th century, Prithviraj, son of Rana Raimal of Mewar and elder brother of Rana Sanga, captured Taragarh fort, after slaying the erstwhile Governor Mallu Khan.

After this, the fort is came to be called Taragarhafter Prithviraj's wife Tarabai. It remained under control of Mewar for some time until later Rana Sanga granted it to Karamchand Panwar.

There are three gateways to the fort known as Lakshmi Pol, Phuta Darwaza, and Gagudi ki Phatak. There were 14 bastions in the wall of this fort. Most of these gateways are now in ruins.

The largest of its battlements is the 16th-century bastion known as the Bhim Burj, on which was once mounted a large cannon called Garbh Gunjam, or 'Thunder from the Womb'. The cannon isn't there anymore but the bastion remains.

Some sections of the fort wall are still walkable, but it isn't a frequented place so we are not sure how safe it is. There is wild growth around it and while it looked beautiful we weren't sure if there could be snakes or some anti-social elements around.

A shrine dedicated to Miran Saheb ki Dargah, who lost his life in 1202 CE during a Rajput attack, is also present in the fort. However, the historical evidence on this Dargah is contradictory. As per Tarikhi Daudi, there was no Dargah when Sher Shah visited the fort in 1544 CE and this place has no historical importance.

Another reason to visit the Taragarh fort is the Prithviraj Memorial, which is about half-way to the Fort area. This memorial has beautiful lawns and an imposing statue.

Overall, even though the Taragarh fort is not really there in its original splendor anymore, this drive itself is fun and rewarding because of the views. And it became more so because of the beautiful weather. I am sure we will remember this trip for a long time.

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