TOWER FORT OF GONDHLA OF HIMACHAL:

 

Where it is located?

• Gondhla village is situated at a distance of 18 km from Keylong(Lahaul and Spiti). Gondhla is a large village and is pretty green with inspiring waterfalls surrounding it; there is a dense growth of poplars too. It is worth stopping here to see the ‘castle’ belonging to the local Thakur (ruler), built more than 300 years ago—locally called ‘Char.’

 

Which river is there?

• Gondhla castle has Seven stories and stands tall on the right bank of River Chandra.

Historical Aspect:

 

Who built this fort?

• House of the Thakur of Gondhla, called the Gondhla castle or fort, attracts a large number of tourists.

 

• The Present Thakur Fateh Chand would like the tourists to believe the Fort is about 20 generations old, but according to the District Gazetteer of Lahaul and Spiti, the fort was built in 1700 AD by Raja Man Singh of Kullu whose influence stretched till the Lingti plains beyond the Baralacha-la.

 

• Raja Man Singh of Kullu is believed to have stayed in the sixth storey of the-fort in 1720 AD when he was on his way to the Trilokinath Temple in Udaipur. The remains of the kitchen and utensils can still be seen in the room.

 

What is the architecture of Gondhla Fort?

• It is a seven-storey house with staircases made of wood and has a veranda running around the top. The wood that was used was supposedly taken from Manali. It is called Kath-Kuni style of architecture.
• Wood is locally called as Kath and corners are known as Kuni. One important characteristic of this style is the complete absence of diagonal or perpendicular member in construction, which gives the building flexibility to severe earthquakes. A mesh of interlocking wooden slippers is created. There are logs of wood in each wall and the building is made of stone.
• In essence, the castle is an example of the indigenous timber-bonded stone style of the western Himalayas consisting of alternate courses of stone and wooden beams and cemented together.
• There is much to see in this neglected, ramshackle and indigenous house—old weapons, statues, costumes and furniture. The fifth storey consists of a personal prayer chamber from where the thakur used to listen to the public and then pass on the judgement from the verandah.

What is Kath-Kuni style of architecture?

• It is a traditional technique that uses alternating layers of long thick wooden logs and stone masonry, held in place usually without using mortar. It has been transmitted orally and empirically from one generation to the next, through apprenticeships spanning a number of years.

It looks like a Swiss Chalet.

• Staircases in the building are partially notched wooden logs and the building has many apartments, which can comfortably accommodate more than 100 people. Its fifth storey, meant exclusively for the Thakur, consisted of a personal prayer chamber and a verandah from where he used to listen to the public and later pronounce his judgements.
• Ganesha is the main deity carved on the facade of the prayer chamber. In one of the prayer chambers the window connecting the outer room is an exquisite work of wood carving. Several weapons, including bows, arrows, quivers, catapults, guns and canons besides other articles of antique value can be seen resting in the apartments.

 

Important Fact:

1) Another interesting article to be seen in possession of the Thakur is Sharab Raldi, i.e., “the sword of wisdom” as Sharab means wisdom and Raldi means a sword. The sword of wisdom (Sanskrit Pragya Kharga) has great importance among the Tibetans. Manjushri is the Tibetaa god of wisdom and he is always portrayed carrying this sword of wisdom in his right hand.

 

About Sword:

This sword seems to have been built with the Toledo technique of spain. This technique is stated to be superior to the Sheffield technique. In Toledo thin steel wires are beaten with a hammer to obtain the desired shape of a sword or other like weapon. One can really observe thin lines in the length of the sword. Earlier this sword was never shown to the outsiders, but now an insistent visitor can see this prize sword of the Thakur.

•  The Godhla Fort sword was given to one of his ancestors by His Holiness Dalai.

 

Festival:

The village gompa is of historical importance. Every year in the month of July a fair is held for two days. On the first day the famous Chham or devil dance is enacted. Large number of people turn out to witness the performance.

 

Check Your Rank

 

Pos.	Name	Duration	Points
1	Varun	23 seconds	5 / 5
2	Yn	58 seconds	5 / 5
3	Raja	1 minutes 3 seconds	4 / 5

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