Uparkot Fort (ઉપરકોટ કિલ્લો / Ancient Citadel of Junagadh)

The Ancient Crown of Saurashtra: Mauryan Dynasty to Chudasama Rajputs

Crowning an elevated rocky limestone tableland in the center of historic **Junagadh**, Gujarat, beneath the sacred shadows of Mount Girnar, **Uparkot Fort (ઉપરકોટ કિલ્લો)**—literally meaning "Upper Fort"—is one of the oldest continuously inhabited fortifications in India. Established in **319 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya**, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, Uparkot served as the regional capital of Saurashtra under Emperor Ashoka, whose 14 rock edicts still survive in the valley below.

Under the **Chudasama Rajput Dynasty (9th–15th century CE)**, Uparkot was transformed into an invincible bastion, enduring **16 historic sieges**. The most famous was the epic **12-year siege launched by Siddharaj Jaisinh of Gujarat**, who sought to conquer the citadel and capture Queen Ranakdevi. In **1472 CE**, Sultan Mahmud Begada of Gujarat annexed the fort, renaming the city *Mustafabad*, before it eventually became the royal seat of the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh.

Architectural Wonders: Buddhist Caves, Adi Kadi Vav & Nilam Tope

The fortress is constructed from **dressed limestone and monolithic rock excavations**, encircled by 20-metre-high walls and a deep rock-cut defensive moat.

The 2nd-Century CE Rock-Cut Buddhist Caves

Carved directly into the hillside, these three-tiered subterranean monastery caves feature exquisitely carved stone pillars, chaitya windows, and residential meditation cells.

The Monolithic Adi Kadi Vav Stepwell

Hewn entirely out of solid limestone bedrock with 120 stone steps and no masonry supports, this 15th-century stepwell is a masterpiece of ancient hydraulic engineering.

The Deep Navghan Kuwo Stepwell

Plunging over 170 feet into solid rock, this 11th-century well features a spiral stone staircase wrapping around the central water shaft, engineered to sustain long sieges.

The Historic 1531 Nilam Tope & Kadanal Cannons

Perched on the fort ramparts are two colossal bronze cannons, *Nilam Tope* and *Kadanal*, cast in Cairo in 1531 CE by Ottoman Admiral Suleiman Pasha during the Diu campaigns.

Girnar Foothills Ecology: Dry Deciduous Forest & Asiatic Lion Biosphere

The rocky hills surrounding Uparkot form part of the greater Gir protected ecosystem, supporting teak, flame of the forest, peacocks, langurs, and occasional Asiatic lions roaming the Girnar reserve.

The Fortified Approach: Triple Gateways & Rock-Cut Moat

Visitors enter Uparkot through a triple-layered stone gateway system crossing a sheer 15-metre-deep dry moat excavated into solid limestone to stop enemy mining.

Rajput Chivalry: The Legendary 12-Year Siege of Uparkot

Folk ballads across Saurashtra commemorate King Ra Khengar and Queen Ranakdevi, whose courageous defense of Uparkot against Siddharaj Jaisinh remains a cornerstone of Gujarati folklore.

Artillery Grandeur: The Cairo Bronze Cannon of Suleiman Pasha

The 17-foot *Nilam Tope* was brought to Gujarat by Ottoman Turkish fleets to aid Sultan Bahadur Shah against the Portuguese, remaining one of the finest bronze cannons in Asia.

Hydraulic Grandeur: Monolithic Stepwell Engineering

A famous Gujarati proverb states: *"Adi Kadi Vav ne Navghan Kuwo, je na juve te jeevto muwo"* (He who has not seen Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuwo has lived in vain), celebrating their rock-cut genius.

Sovereign Defense: The Saurashtra Frontier Sentinel

From the high towers of Uparkot, lookouts maintained visual contact with Mount Girnar shrines and commanded sweeping views across the fertile plains of Junagadh.

Sovereign Heritage: The Living Traditions of Junagadh

Uparkot sits at the spiritual heart of Junagadh, where Hindu, Jain, and Sufi pilgrim traditions converge during the annual Girnar Parikrama and Maha Shivratri fairs.

Sovereign Defense: The 2,300-Year-Old Rock Citadel

The 20-metre stone ramparts, rock-cut defensive moats, and self-sufficient stepwells of Uparkot Fort established a nearly invincible mountain citadel that shaped the history of Gujarat for two millennia.

Epigraphical Grandeur: Ancient Brahmi Inscriptions

The rocks around Uparkot preserve inscriptions in ancient Brahmi script from Emperor Ashoka, Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman, and Skandagupta, chronicling two thousand years of imperial history.

Ecological Splendor: The Flora of Mount Girnar Foothills

The ancient limestone ridges of Uparkot provide a natural habitat for diverse bird species, wild herbs, and flowering creepers that thrive amidst historic stone arches.

Sovereign Heritage: The Restored Archaeological Jewel of Gujarat

Meticulously restored by the Gujarat Tourism Department and ASI, Uparkot Fort welcomes travelers from around the world to explore its ancient caves, stepwells, and monumental ramparts.

Practical Visitor Guide: Planning Your Visit to Uparkot Fort

How to Reach Uparkot Fort

Uparkot Fort is located in central **Junagadh**, easily reached by auto-rickshaw or taxi from Junagadh Railway Station (2.5 km). Connected via **National Highway 151** and **State Highway 26** to Rajkot, Somnath, and Ahmedabad.

Mauryan Dynasty: The Western Capital of Chandragupta

Chandragupta Maurya and Governor Pushyagupta developed Uparkot as the administrative hub of Saurashtra, commissioning the historic Sudarshan Lake dam and stationing royal garrison troops to secure western trade routes.

Spiritual Grandeur: The 2nd-Century Rock-Cut Buddhist Sanctuary

The three-tiered Buddhist caves inside Uparkot served as an ancient monastic retreat for traveling monks, featuring elaborate spiraling stone columns, meditation cells, and an underground bath fed by rock-cut channels.

Chudasama Chivalry: The Epic 12-Year Siege of Siddharaj Jaisinh

For twelve years, King Ra Khengar defended Uparkot against the entire army of Patan until betrayal opened the outer gates, inspiring Gujarati folk legends commemorating Queen Ranakdevi's courage at Wadhwan.

Hydraulic Grandeur: Monolithic Stepwells Hewn from Solid Bedrock

Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuwo represent two of India's most extraordinary rock-cut stepwells, plunging deep into subterranean limestone aquifers without a single piece of structural masonry.

Sovereign Heritage: The 2,300-Year-Old Rock Citadel of Junagadh

The 20-metre stone walls, rock-cut defensive moats, and ancient monuments of Uparkot Fort form an irreplaceable archaeological marvel chronicling over two millennia of Indian history.

Sovereign Defense: The 20-Metre Limestone Ramparts

The monumental 20-metre-high stone walls, deep rock-cut defensive moats, and monolithic stepwells of Uparkot Fort established an impregnable ancient citadel that protected the royal capital of Saurashtra across two millennia.

Cultural Grandeur: The Majestic Views of Mount Girnar

From the high bastions of Uparkot, travelers enjoy magnificent vistas of holy Mount Girnar rising above the plains, celebrating centuries of spiritual devotion, ancient Buddhist monastic life, and royal Rajput chivalry.

Epigraphical Splendor: The Rock Edicts of Ashoka Maurya

Located in the valley just below Uparkot, the monumental granite rock inscribed with 14 edicts of Emperor Ashoka confirms Junagadh's status as the imperial administrative capital of western India.

Architectural Grandeur: The Stone Carving Guilds of Junagadh

The ornate stone brackets, floral toranas, and monolithic stepwell staircases inside Uparkot reflect the unparalleled craftsmanship of ancient and medieval Gujarati master masons (*Salats*).

Sovereign Logistics: Subterranean Grain Storage Vaults

Inside the upper fortress enclosure, archaeologists documented deep rock-hewn granaries engineered to store thousands of maunds of grain, sustaining the garrison during multi-year sieges.

Royal Heritage: The Nawabi Palaces of Uparkot

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh restored key sections of Uparkot, preserving ancient Rajput stonework alongside Islamic arches and royal garden courtyards.

Frequently Asked Questions about Uparkot Fort

2,300 Years of History: From Chandragupta Maurya to Mahmud Begada

Rising like a colossal stone crown over the plains of Saurashtra, **Uparkot Fort (The Upper Citadel)** embodies over two millennia of unbroken Indian history. Founded in 319 BCE by **Chandragupta Maurya**, the citadel served as the capital of the Mauryan viceroy Pushyagupta, followed by the Western Kshatrapas, Guptas, Maitrakas, and the Chudasama Rajputs.

The fortress is encircled by high dressed-stone ramparts and a sheer 20-metre-deep rock-cut moat. In 1472 CE, after a legendary three-year siege, Sultan **Mahmud Begada** captured the citadel, commissioning the monumental 140-pillared Jami Mosque within the upper court.

Architectural Wonders: The Adi Kadi Vav & Ottoman Neelam Cannon

Uparkot houses two of the world's most astonishing monolithic stepwells: the **Adi Kadi Vav**, carved entirely out of a single living rock layer down 120 stone steps, and the **Navghan Kuvo**, plunging 170 feet through a spiral rock staircase to reach deep subterranean groundwater.

On the upper battlements rests the **Neelam Top**, a magnificent 16-foot-long bronze cannon cast in 1531 at Cairo by Turkish gunsmith Muhammad Hamza, inscribed with Arabic poetry honoring Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

Ancient Saurashtra Hydraulic Engineering & Buddhist Sanctuary

The subterranean rock-cut complexes of Uparkot represent some of the earliest and most sophisticated rock architecture in western India. The 2nd-century CE Buddhist caves, carved during the Western Kshatrapa era across multiple descending levels, feature ornamental Greco-Bactrian pillar capitals, rock-hewn water cisterns, and a peaceful underground meditation chamber that offered complete sanctuary from regional warfare.

The fortress's ancient stone granaries (*Kotha*) and the monumental subterranean stepwells allowed Uparkot to endure legendary historical sieges, including a twelve-year blockade by the Solanki rulers of Patan, cementing its reputation as an unbreachable mountain bastion in regional Gujarati folklore.

A visit to Uparkot Fort offers an unparalleled journey across twenty-three centuries of Indian history, from the Mauryan Empire and early Buddhism to the golden age of medieval Gujarat.

Saurashtra Dynastic Glory & The Living Sacred Mountain

The ancient ramparts of Uparkot have stood as silent guardians through two thousand years of regional transformations in Gujarat. From the heroic epics of the Chudasama kings Ra' Khengar and Ra' Navghan to the glorious temple architecture at the base of Mount Girnar, Uparkot encapsulates the rich cultural spirit of Saurashtra.

For heritage travelers, history scholars, and photographers, walking through Uparkot Fort offers an extraordinary glimpse into the timeless architectural genius of ancient and medieval India.

The Mountain Chokepoint & Saurashtra Living Heritage

The commanding position of Uparkot at the base of sacred Mount Girnar allowed its defenders to oversee the fertile trade corridors of Saurashtra for over two millennia. Its rock-cut passages, massive gateways, and historic battlements stand as enduring symbols of the architectural and cultural resilience of Gujarat.

A journey through Uparkot Fort remains an essential highlight for anyone exploring the rich historical heritage of western India.

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