Fort of Arki In Himachal Pradesh

 

Where is this place?

 

• Arki is a town, tehsil and Nagar Panchayat in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India.
• Arki is located in the middle of the hills of the western Himalayas in the Himachal state of India. This palace is part of a heritage fort complex located at an altitude of 1273 meters/ 4200 feet. It has a beautiful view of the stations of Shimla and Kasauli.

 

Historical Background of Arki Fort:

 

 

Who built this?

• Arki Palace was built by Rana Prithvi Singh the ruler of a former Baghal State in 1695-1700 A.D, in Northern Indian Rajput Mughal style.

 

 

About History of Arki Town:

1) Arki was made the capital of Baghal by Rana Sabha Chand in about 1650 AD.

2) Baghal was founded as a sovereign Kingdom by Raja Ajai Dev in the beginning of the 13th Century A.D.

3) Raja Ajai Dev was a sicon of the famous Parmar King Bhoj Dev of Malwa, who ruled the whole of the northern and western India including Sind and Punjab up to the west of Bihar in the beginning of the 7th century.

 

About Ajai Dev:

• Ajai Dev was the Prime Minister of Malwa with the capital at Dhar and Ujjain in Madhay Pradesh when Malwa was ransacked by Iltutmush, then the commander in Chief of the slave king Sultan Balban in 12th century.
• Consequently Ajai Dev migrated to the Himalayas and founded Baghal at the request of the local people of the area Baghal is the short form of Baghalaya meaning the land of leopards.
• Arki means a sunny place.

 

When Gurkhas invaded the fort?

• The Gurkhas who were trying to invade the city  (from 1803  till 1815-16) used the Arki Fort as their stronghold during the Gurkha wars that continued until 1815-1816. So, for some time was also the stronghold of the redoubtable Amar Singh Thapa, the Gorkha chief.

 

Who again liberated Arki Fort from Gurkhas?

• Anglo-Gurkha war took place in 1815,in which British drove the Gurkhas back to Nepal and Baghal was freed.
• Baghal was restored to Rana Jagat Singh in 1815 AD by a Sanad granted to him by the British Government .

 

Under who leadership British fought against Gurkhas?

• Under the leadership of Major General David Ochterlony and Major General Rollo Gillespie British fought against Gurkhas.

On what condition?

• Condition imposed were of active assistance in case of war.

 

 

Art and Architecture of Arki Fort:

 

• It presents a fusion of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles and shows a heavy influence of Rajasthan. The beautiful murals and frescoes done in the ‘Pahari School’ of miniature paintings were later added by Raja Kishen Chand in 1850. These frescoes are said to be the most accurate record of the contemporary lifestyle in the nearby hills of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. They can broadly be classified as decorative floral designs, paintings that present pure fantasies straight from the artists’ minds and paintings inspired by the scenic beauty of the hills.

 

• The murals and frescoes on the walls, ceilings and pillars of the Diwan e Khas are a sight to behold. What makes it intriguing is that there are several paintings depicting scenes from European cities of yore.

 

What is Diwan-i-Khaas?

 

• Situated at an altitude of 1200 m, Diwan-i-Khas, also known as the Audience Hall, is a prominent tourist location in Arki, Solan District. It was built in 1830 by Ram Shara Singh, an Arki ruler and a well-known patron of the arts. The Diwan-i-Khas is adorned with wall paintings in the Kangra, Rajasthani, Arki, Kullu and European styles. The drawings of flowers and small statues of females in the hall exhibit the strong influence of the Guler style. Chinese pictures, Punjabi folk art, raginis, erotic scenes of love, war scenes, animals, birds and stories from the Puranas are the subjects of the mural paintings present in the Diwan-i-Khas. All the pieces of art present in the hall are the perfect testaments of the rich artistic heritage of Arki.
• Thematic contrasts and a balance of colors, forms and designs can be seen all around. Arki fort is now in ruins and is the private property descendants of the erstwhile ruler, Raja Rajendra Singh. A part of the fort, which is still in good condition, has been converted into a heritage resort and its well-maintained rooms reflect its royal grandeur and splendor. It provides excellent views of the snow-capped mountain ranges and glimpse of famous hill stations like Shimla, Kasauli and Subathu. Another part of the Arki Fort Palace is being used as a residence by the royal family, while some of it has been lent to Home Guards.

 

Recent Renovation:

• The PADM-LAKSHMI NIWAS THE PALACE ARKI is recently renovated part of late the 17th century heritage Fort Palace complex.

 

Access-

• By road- Arki is easily approached by car or bus on well metalled road from Delhi,Chandigarh or Punjab towns via kalka-dharampur sabathu or ropar and Nalagarh and from dehradun via nahan-sarahan-kumarhatti and sabathu.
• It is a convenient midway halting-place for travelers between Delhi and Manali or Delhi and Dharamsala.

 

Climate:

• It has a pleasant and mild climate through the year with a moderate annual rainfall mostly in the monsoon is between 15th july and 15th Sept
• Summer is mildly warm maximum temperatures normally are between 26 degree to 33 degree c
• Winter is moderately cold (no snowfall) minimum temperatures normally between 4 to 8c

(Source: thestatesman & Arkipalace)

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