Barabati Fort-
Barabati Fort, located in Cuttack, is one of
the most adored and preferred attractions of Orissa. Located on the bank of the
holy Mahanadi River, Barabati fortress lies on the western side of the Cuttack city.
It is situated at a distance of about 8 km from the central city of Cuttack. Cuttack
has very long history dating back to the year 689 A.D. – the year in which King
Nrupa Keshari founded it. Barabati fort once accommodated an memorable ninestorey palace. The local establishment has now taken over the charge of
maintaining this imperial structure. Barabati fort is stretched over an area of 102
acres.
There is moat at Barabati Fort, more commonly called as Gadakhai, which is a 20
yards extensive trench. King Anangabhima Dev III initially constructed the fortress
around in the year 1229 A.D. Babari fort was later reestablished during the
fourteenth century.
The Chalukya King, Mukundadev Harichandan, constructed a nine-storey building
in the precincts of Barabati Fort, in 1560 A.D. Various archaeological excavations
were carried at Barabati fort. It suggests that the fortifications that enclosed this
glorious memorial once were prepared from granite and laterite. The entryway of
the fortress is very incredible and stands inflated with stunning elaborate carvings.
Then two rings of forts on either side of the Kathajodi and the Mahanadi were
designed to defend the Barabati Fort from enemy attacks. Barabati Fort was, more
or less, rectangular in formation having an area of over 102 acres. Then there was a
tank to the west side of the heap. There are some ruins of age-old temple at the
corner of mound. Whitish granite and laterite for groundwork blocks were used to
construct the shrine. N numbers of sculpture pieces have been recovered from the
site. It is said that, the ruler Feroz Shah Tughluq destroyed this temple in which
lord Jagannath resided, in 1361 A.D.
Fort has gone through a lot of makeover since its construction. Its interiors have
been transformed into an arena, which has the capacity to house in more than
30,000 people at a time. Since its fabrication, it has been serving as the venue of
sports tournaments and cultural events. The Ganga dynasty had a glorious past
over this superb fort. The fort has witness many dynasties like Gangas, the Bhois,
the Gajapatis, the Mughals and the Kesharis.
Fort is one of its kind in the Orissa state and is now a heritage structure. The fort is
easily accessible from all the major cities like Bhubaneshwar, Puri, and Konark
among others. The trains are available from all major cities in India. By road,
Cuttack is 29 km from Bhubaneshwar. National highway number 5 passes through
the Cuttack city; and the fort is 8 km from the central Cuttack city. In addition,
nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar. Best time to visit the fort is from October to
June.