Jagtial Fort

A must visit for heritage lovers

It closely resembles a European castle since it was constructed in collaboration with French engineers during the reign of Nawab Ibrahim Khan in 17 century, a Governor of the Mughals.

The two French engineers, Jack and Tal began construction of what would become the only star shaped fort in Telangana and the only structure to be totally modeled on European design.

The name of the fort and the town over years slowly came to be known as Jacktal and then Jagital or Jagityala as is written in Telugu.
The fort was built with stones and lime and it had a moa al round that was filled with water. The entrance gate which has made with wood was disappeared. 

At the entrance of the fort is a big mosque dating back to the time of the Nizam Shahi dynasty of Golconda. It was built during the early years of the 19th century. It is called the Jamia Masjid.

There are several cannons in the fort and in one of them is inscribed in Urdu the name of Mohammad Khasim. The Burz on the fort had many cannons placed on it and Khasim is credited with building several of them.

It is the only star-shaped fort in Telangana that is fitted with canons.

A visit to the Jagityala Fort should also include a peep into the historical treasure vaults ensconced within the walls of these great structures.

The Mughal dynasty used it as a Defence Fort in the 17 century. 

It is surrounded by four water bodies – Mote pond, Dharma Samandar, Mupparaap and Kandla Palli.  

According to Archaeological Department officials, it was built during the reign of Nawab Ibrahim, a Governor in the Mughal dynasty. The fort has two wooden gates, which were lifted by using pulleys. This is the only star-shaped fort in the State with a moat (water body).

History says that there used to be a row of rooms for the storage of ammunition at this fort. Though a majority of structures of the fort have been destroyed over the years, the well is safe and provides water to locals in the region. The fort stands as a testimony to the bravery of soldiers who fought here. 

This ancient and historic monumental structure, a special attraction of Jagtial, is now in a state of neglect and the precious lands are on the verge of the encroachment. Though the Archaeology Department took measures to reconstruct the walls, their efforts proved to be inadequate.

Assistant Director (Archaeology) N. Mallikarjun Rao said that the then Nizam government had declared Jagtial Fort as a protected monument. He said that they had decided to construct a cannon gallery with the existing 43 cannons. We are planning to construct a pedestal for the cannons and educate people about the importance of the fort, he added.

HOW TO REACH JAGTIAL:

Distance from Hyderabad - 190 km

From Karimnagar - 50 km

Built during the reign of Nawab Ibrahim, a Governor in the Mughal dynasty

It is now in a state of neglect and precious lands are on the verge of encroachment

The then Nizam government had declared Jagtial Fort as a protected monument


Timings : 10 AM - 5 PM daily


http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/jagtial-fort-a-must-visit-for-heritage-lovers/article7014727.ece