The Uperkot Fort: A Treasure for Folklore and History

One dimension of history is about celebrating the past. The stories, folklore and legends which claim to have happened give us an insight about what the past would have been.
Walking through Junagadh every monument tells its story; some are myths while some hold historical ground.

One of the gem in this place is Uperkot fort. It is believed that this fort was built in the reign and as a consequence of the the orders of Chandragupta Maurya around C. 3rd century B.C.E and gave Junagadh its name. The archaeological evidences suggests that this site was occupied since 3rd century B.C.E. Entering the fort one would notice the gateways one inside the other guiding a person into the fort. The fort consists of temples of Hanuman, Shakti and Ganesh on one hand and a complex of Buddhist caves on the other hand, indicating towards the coexistence of Hinduism and Buddhism at the same place and symbolizing the expansion of both the religions.

Apart from temples and Buddhist caves one could also find two cannons which are suggested to have been made in Cairo, and Adi Kadi Vav and Naughan Kuwo .The whole structure of the Naughan Kuwo is made out of a single stone. Jami Masjid is another gem in Uperkot Fort.
A rock inscription in Girnar indicate towards the control of maurya and Gupta rulers over the area. It is believed that this fort was abandoned around 7th century C.E and when rediscovered it was hidden in jungle.
Next dynasty which occupied this place was the rajput dynasty Chudasama in 875 C.E by Rao
Grahario who understood its advantage for defense.
Uperkot is believed to have been besieged 16 times one of which lasted for 12 years. The tale of Rani Ranak Devi is still narrated in this area and give us glance into the insights of the minds of people and tells another hidden story of continuity and change.