Parola Fort (Jhansi ki Rani Fort)

The Khandesh Fortress of Rani Lakshmibai's Ancestors: 1727 Foundation to 1857

Situated in the historic town of Parola in Jalgaon district, northern Maharashtra, **Parola Fort (पारोळा किल्ला)** is celebrated across India as the ancestral fortress of **Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi**. Built in **1727 CE by Hari Sadashiv Damodar**, a prominent Maratha nobleman and the elder brother of Moropant Tambe's ancestors, Parola served as the sovereign seat of the Damodar principality under the Peshwas of Pune.

During the **1857 Indian Freedom Struggle**, the ruler of Parola, supporting Rani Lakshmibai's uprising in central India, refused to assist British colonial forces. In **1859**, British troops under Captain Birch besieged Parola, dismantled its upper defensive bastions, and confiscated the family estate. The fortress stands today as an inspiring monument to Khandesh’s contribution to India's first war of independence.

Architectural Wonders: The Delhi Darwaza & The Deep Moat

The fortress is constructed in a square plan measuring 160 metres on each side, built from dressed **Deccan black basalt blocks** and enclosed by a deep protective moat.

The Soaring 5-Storeyed Delhi Darwaza (Delhi Gate)

The crowning architectural feature of Parola Fort is the monumental **Delhi Darwaza**, a five-storeyed stone gateway adorned with arched balconies, carved stone jharokhas, sentry guardrooms, and an elevated drum-house (*Nagarkhana*).

The Four Heavy Corner Bastions & Moat

Each corner of the square perimeter is anchored by a massive circular stone bastion engineered with musket loops and cannon embrasures, encircled by a 30-foot-wide dry moat that could be flooded during sieges.

The Royal Damodar Haveli & Courtyards

Inside the fortified enclosure lie the carved stone foundations of the **Damodar Palace Haveli**, featuring multi-storeyed wooden pillars, decorative plaster brackets, and subterranean storage chambers.

The Ancient Bori Riverfront Stepwells

Adjacent to the fort walls are historic stepped wells (*Baolis*) that tapped groundwater from the Bori River basin, ensuring a reliable water supply for the garrison and townspeople.

Khandesh Agrarian Geography: Cotton Bazaars & River Plains

Parola flourished as a wealthy commercial crossroads on the historic trade route linking Surat with Khandesh and Berar. The black fertile soils of the Bori River valley produced premium cotton and oilseeds that funded the construction of the fort’s monumental gateways.

Freedom History: The 1857 Uprising of Parola's Garrison

When news of Rani Lakshmibai's stand reached Khandesh in 1857, the Parola garrison forged clandestine ties with Tatya Tope's emissaries. British forces subsequently confiscated the fortress treasury and dismantled the citadel's outer battlements in 1859.

Black Basalt Masonry & Wooden Haveli Craftsmanship

The construction of Parola Fort combined heavy dressed basalt masonry with intricate teakwood interior architecture. Master stonecarvers created floral friezes and geometric brackets that showcase 18th-century Maratha civic engineering.

Archaeological Protection & Municipal Conservation

The Maharashtra State Directorate of Archaeology and local municipal bodies have restored the facade of the Delhi Darwaza, cleared wild vegetation from the moat, and established an informational memorial commemorating Rani Lakshmibai's ancestral lineage.

Practical Visitor Guide: Planning Your Visit to Parola Fort

How to Reach Parola Fort

Parola is located directly on **National Highway 53 (NH 53 - Surat-Kolkata Highway / Old NH 6)**, situated midway between Dhule (35 km) and Jalgaon (55 km). Frequent state transport buses and private vehicles connect Dhule, Jalgaon, and Chalisgaon directly to Parola town.

The Monumental Portals: The 5-Storeyed Delhi Darwaza & Bastions

The southern approach to Parola Fort is dominated by the monumental **Delhi Darwaza**, constructed from dressed black basalt and red sandstone. Rising five storeys with arched sentry alcoves, carved jharokha balconies, and a top-level drum chamber (*Nagarkhana*), the gateway commanded the main highway of Khandesh.

Dynastic Lineage: The Damodar Principality & Rani Lakshmibai's Cradle

Founded in 1727 CE by Hari Sadashiv Damodar, Parola was the sovereign stronghold of the Tambe-Damodar clan. Rani Lakshmibai's father, Moropant Tambe, traced his family origins to this Khandesh principality, where ancestral traditions of martial valor and statecraft were nurtured.

Commercial Geography: Khandesh Cotton Bazaars & Brass Foundries

Parola was a prosperous mercantile junction on the trade route linking Surat with Burhanpur. Wealthy cotton traders, brassware smiths, and money-lenders operated flourishing bazaars under the protection of the fort’s heavy stone battlements.

Hydraulic Engineering: The Bori River Moat & Subterranean Baolis

The fort was surrounded by a 30-foot-wide moat connected to seasonal channels of the Bori River. Deep stepped stone baolis within the fort courtyard tapped natural aquifers, providing cool, filtered drinking water to the royal family and garrison.

Freedom Legacy: The 1859 British Siege & Estate Confiscation

In 1859, following the 1857 rebellion, British troops under Captain Birch attacked Parola, dismantled its upper artillery bastions, and seized the royal treasury. The resilience of the Damodar family remains a celebrated chapter in Maharashtra's freedom history.

The Town Watchtowers & Bori Valley Sentry Platforms

The four corner bastions of Parola Fort feature elevated stone watchtowers overlooking the Bori River valley. Sentry guards maintained continuous visual surveillance over the trade trails from Malegaon to secure the Damodar treasury against surprise assaults.

Khandesh Textile Craft: Handloom Weaving & Indigo Dyeing

Parola was renowned for its skilled weavers who produced durable cotton khadi and vegetable-dyed indigo fabrics. Hereditary artisan guilds supplied uniforms, horse blankets, and tent canopies to the Maratha garrison defending the fort.

Khandesh Ecology: Scrub Flora & Avian Life of Bori Basin

The seasonal waterways and agricultural fields surrounding Parola provide critical habitat for grey francolins, Indian rollers, black drongos, and spotted owlets that roost in the ancient neem and tamarind groves bordering the fort moat.

Epigraphical Records: Maratha Modi Charters of Parola

Historical archives preserve Modi-script revenue charters issued by the Damodar family, recording land grants, water distribution rights from the Bori River, and civic charters establishing weekly market bazaars in Parola town.

Sovereign Defense: The Khandesh River Plain Sentinel Network

From the high stone watchtowers of Parola Fort, Maratha sentries maintained visual communication with the neighboring hill fortresses of Laling and Songir, ensuring regional frontier security across north Maharashtra's fertile cotton plains.

Sculptural Iconography: Classical Maratha Stone Brackets

The facade of the Delhi Darwaza exhibits exquisite hand-carved stone brackets depicting floral motifs, auspicious kalash symbols, and elephant carvings that showcase the timeless aesthetic elegance of 18th-century Maratha military architecture.

Sovereign Heritage: The Tambe-Damodar Freedom Lineage

The monumental stone ramparts and five-storeyed Delhi Darwaza of Parola Fort celebrate the unyielding spirit of the Tambe-Damodar clan, whose daughter Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi became the eternal symbol of Indian freedom and martial valor.

Sovereign Defense: The Bori River Moat Defense System

The deep water moat and four heavy corner bastions of Parola Fort created a formidable defensive obstacle that protected local artisans, wealthy cotton merchants, and the Damodar family palace during turbulent decades of 18th-century warfare.

Sovereign Heritage: The Living Khandesh Fort Heritage

The monumental five-storeyed Delhi Darwaza and stone bastions of Parola Fort stand as an enduring tribute to the 18th-century Maratha architects and the heroic Tambe-Damodar lineage that shaped the freedom struggle in north Maharashtra.

Frequently Asked Questions about Parola Fort

Peshwa Sardar Damodar's Moated Citadel & The 1857 Freedom Struggle

Spanning an expansive square footprint protected by massive dressed-basalt stone ramparts and a wide perimeter moat, **Parola Fort** was established in 1727 CE as a premier regional administrative citadel of the Peshwa Empire in Khandesh. The fortress featured five grand gates, deep water wells, and a sprawling royal palace wada.

Because of the ruling Nevaskar and Tambe families' active allegiance to **Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi** during the 1857 National Uprising, British East India Company troops attacked Parola in 1859, confiscating its royal lands and dismantling sections of the upper palace towers.

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