Ita Fort, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh


The Ita Fort is one of the most significant historical sites in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Literally translating to the "fort of bricks" ("ita" being the term used for "brick" in the Assamese language), the monument also lends its name to Itanagar, the state capital. The fort is believed to be one of the first structures built by king Ratnadhwajpal of the Chutia (or Sadiya) dynasty that ruled over
this region for much of the 13th-15th centuries, during the early years of his reign's consolidation. Additionally, some of the bricks on the fort walls seem to be indicative of later repairs made in the 14th-15th century.

The architecture of the Ita Fort is not particularly striking and the fort was clearly meant to serve a military purpose as opposed to an aesthetic one.
The overall structure of the fort is irregular and built entirely with bricks. The total brickwork is of 16,200 cubic metre lengths. There are three primary entrances to the fort corresponding to the west, east and the south. On the eastern end there is a rampart spread over approximately half a kilometre; while the western rampart is more than 1.40 kms in length and has two gates. The north and south of the fort are bound by irregular steep ridges of more than a kilometre length.

Today, the Ita Fort stands as a testimony to the rich history of its land, attracting tourists from worldwide over to bear witness to its grandeur.