Monday, October 26, 2020

SUVARNAGIRI DURG/JALORE FORT - THE CREST-JEWEL OF SONIGARA CHAUHAN - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

आभ कटे धर उलटे, कटे बखतरा कोर।
सिर कटे धड़ तड़फडै, जद छूटे जालोर।। 

अर्थ - आसमान फट जाता है, धरती उलट जाती है, जिरहबख्तर कट जाते है, सर कटते है, धड़ लड़ते है, तब कहीं जाकर जालोर का किला छुटता है।

~ महाराजा मानसिंह जोधपुर

The crest-jewel of Sonigara Chauhan, Suvarnagiri Durg (Jalore Fort). 

Jalore Fort is located in the Jalore district of the state of Rajasthan, Jalore district has been an important site of the Middle East in the south-west of Rajasthan india. The Fort of Jalore is one of the important fortified forts of Marwar rajasthan. It was constructed in the 8th century i.e. Gurjara Pratihara period. This fort is built by the Hindu method.
A famous plot about the Jalore Fort, considered as one of the most invincible forts in the country – “The sky explodes, the earth turns upside down, the iron armor falls to pieces, the body has to fight alone, but Jalore Do not surrender”.


Built-in the traditional Hindu Rajput architectural style, the Jalor Fort is situated on a steep hill at a height of 1200 meters. 

The fort of Jalore was so high that it was suitable for a panoramic view of the entire city.
Jabalipur or Jallahur is a fallen fort built on the banks of the Sukdi River. Sohangarh and Savarnagiri are known as Kanakachal.


This fort of jalore was built in the 8th century by Emperor Nagabhatta I (730 to 760) of the Pratihara Rajput dynasty, making Jalore the capital of the country.
To date, no invader could open the gate of this fort through the attack. After the Pratihar Rajputs migrated from Jalore, this fort was ruled by several rulers in turn, including Parmar, Sonagara Chauhan, Khil ji, etc. But originally this fort belongs to the Pratihara dynasty.
The actual construction period of the Jalore Fort is unknown, although it is believed that the fort was built between the 8th – 10th centuries. The city of Jalore was ruled by the Parmar Rajputs in the 10th century.


Jalore Fort is the main attraction of Jalore, a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan, one of the 9 castles of the Maru, under the Parmar Rajput Kings in the 10th century. It is one of the most famous forts in the state & has been known through history as the Sonagir or the "golden mount".

Atop a steep hill, the Jalore Fort offers an excellent view of the city. The high fortified walls and bastions with cannon are the main highlights of the fort.


During the reign of Udai Singh Songara, Sultan Iltutmish invades Jalore.

- Udai Singh Jalore Songra Chauhan branch of rajputs was most mighty and famous.
-He defeated the Muslim army of iltutmish that came to capture the fort of Jalore. -About five years later, around 1278 Vikram Samvat, iltutmish again campaigned on Rajputana.
To face his challenge, Udai Singh formed a front with the Vaghela Rajput ruler of Gujarat.
-So Iltutmish instead of fighting the two mighty kings of Marwar and Gujarat, returned without Fighting.

Sources : 1. सूंधा parwat shilalekh Vikram samvat 1319
                   2. नैणसी ri khyat bhag 1 P 203
                   3 . Early Chauhan Dynasties , P 174 Dr. Dasharath Sharma


While in the rule of Kanhar dev Chauhan, the Sultan of Delhi Alauddin Khil ji attacked here (Fort of jalore) in 1311 AD.


When Khilji Army reached Sakrana village near Jalore, Jaita Devda, minister of Kanhada deva sent them a message.

"You have not done well by encamping at foot of my fort, after killing Hindus and Destroying 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘩. Don't you know that I'm rajput"

Two days later, Rajputs Attacked Khilji Camp.

Ulugh Khan was Able to escape BARELY.

Nusrat Khan's brother, Malik Aizuddin and Nephew of Alauddin were Killed.


Idol of Somnath was Liberated by Rajputs, which was being carried to Delhi to be fitted in Steps of Mosque. 

Kanhada deva installed the 5 pieces of. Somnath Idol at 5 places:

Prabhas, Bagda, Mount Abu, Jalore and his own Garden.

This Event showed that Armies of Alauddin Khilji were not as Invincible as They were thought to be.

It also sent a message among mlecchas that, Hindu Rajputs were NOT a coward race, who will be trampled Under the Yoke of Foreign Ideologies.


A fumed Khilji sent another Army to attack Jalore which was again successfully resisted by Kanhadadev's Forces and all the Generals of Khilji were killed.
A third attack was again carried out on Jalore, this time to siege the  Jalore Fort. The Fierce Rajput Warriors under the leadership of their King Kanhadadev and their Prince Biram Dev faught valiantly with the invaders and gave them a befitting reply.The gruesome battle went on for 2 years when finally the Rajputs lost in the year 1311.


When Alauddin Khil ji attacked the Jalore Fort, several Rajput soldiers were killed, their wives jumped in to a burning fire pond and killed themselves to save their honor from opposing the army. It was a popular tradition of the highest sacrifice among Rajput women and was known as “the Jauhar”.


The main attraction of the jalore fort here in the desolate residential palace, now abandoned with ruined symmetrical walls with huge rock formations all around. From Hindu temples to Jain temples to mosques, representing the holy places of various rulers of this place, now you will find them all inside the Jalore Fort complex.


The impressive Topekhana at Jalore is known for its stunning stone carvings. It is also one of the most visited tourist destinations of the city.

It was earlier a sanskrit college built by Parmar Rajputs of Dhar. Later during muslim occupation, it was converted into a mosque. Finally when Rathores retook the Jalore fort from its muslim rulers, they converted the mosque into storage for artillery. Some cannons can be seen in the lower left corner of the pic above.

(Looks beautiful . Wonder how old universities and colleges would have looked if we had been spared the Long green night, I think they would have been flourishing atleast till modern times.)


The striking white Jain Temple sitting atop the Fort of Jalore,Raj also knwn as Suvarngiri. The temples history goes back to the 12th Century.  Its on a nice small hill with proper stairs. The city views are fantastic. There was a maze on the top which was a little spooky. Recommended alongwith Kirtistambh tirth.

Multiple Jain temples existed on Fort in the past.
Raja Kumarpal is also known to have built a Jain temple at Jalore.




Sundha Mata Temple



The historic and ancient pilgrimage site of Sundha Mata temple is located near the village of Dantlavas of Raniwada tehsil, jalore. the temple about 105 km from the district headquarters of Jalore district of Rajasthan state and 35 km from Bhinmal subdivision. 

The temple of Sundha Mataji is about 900 years old, situated on a high hill, in which the statue of “Maa Sundha” is installed, the first ropeway of Rajasthan is situated here. The temple of Sundha Mata ji is situated at a height of about 850 meters.
Sundha Mata Mandir Jalore Rajasthan Rajasthan

Due to the name of this mountain of the Aravalli ranges, it is also known as Sundha Mata. It is also called Adeshvari because the statue of mother is without torso.

This temple is made of white marble stone, resembles the Dilwara temple of Abu, the temple also has an idol of Goddess Chamunda Devi.

The Sundha mountain is mythologically and historically significant. Adi Dev’s taphobhoomi is considered here to slay the Tripura demon. Apart from this, a Shivlinga is installed near the idol of Chamunda Mata and it is the Kuldevata of Upamanyu Gautra of Shrimali Brahmin Society, who believes in Vedic rituals, and this is the Nagini Mata, who is his Kuldevi.

Sundha Mata



This place has been the taphobhoomi of many sages and sages and it is also said to be the ashram of Rishi Bharadwaj. After the Battle of Haldighati in the year 1576, Mewar ruler History Maharana Pratap had taken refuge to Sundha Mata in his days of suffering.

In the early years of the thirteenth century, Bhinmal was snatched from the Solankis of Gujarat by the Chauhan ruler of Jalore, and the Chauhan rulers of Jalore have a special respect for Sundha Mata.

Due to this reverence, Uchisingh’s son Chachigadeva got this temple constructed in Samvat 1312 and in 1319 on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, Mata Chamunda was made famous by law.

In the thirteenth century itself, Alauddin Khilji invaded Jalore and ended the Chauhan branch and this area remained under the Mughals, the Bihari Pathans and the Sultans of Gujarat.

After becoming a part of the princely state of Marwar, the royal family of Jodhpur presented this pilgrimage to Dhani, Mangalwa and Chitori villages.



Apart from Rajasthan, lakhs of people from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh visit here every year. A nine-day fair is held here twice a year at the time of Navratras and a large crowd of devotees gather. More visitors come to the temple from thirteen to full moon of Shukla Paksha of every month.

It is a natural shade of the place, panoramic environment, greenery spread on the mountain, sand mountains and waterfalls flowing every day and a store of important rare herbs of Ayurveda. It is currently an important tourist destination.

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