SHERGARH FORT : MYSTERY BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND
11:57 am
Situated about 32 kms south-west of Sasaram, Shergarh
is a natural hill fort amidst gorgeous scenery with the top of the rock having
a natural rampart well-fortified by a number of bastions and bulwarks.
Connected to the main plateau from one side only and
protected by two sides by the river Durgawati, the ascent to this fort is not
motorable. One has to disembark from the vehicles at Badalgarh, then walking
for about 1 to 1.5 kms, one reaches the foot of the stairs that lead up to the
fort bastions. The grand fortifications of Shergarh fort are visible from
a distance as one approaches it.
Passing through the mesmerising sceneries, giving a
feeling of being in an abandoned and ruined forested settlement, as no proper
buildings are visible in the vicinity, one reaches the first bastions, which
still retain the glory of the bygone days, and you will start envisaging the
scene of a few centuries ago, when the fort was buzzing with activities and
sentries on the bastions keeping a close eye on the movements.
In absence of any concrete knowledge about the
history and origin of Shergarh, Francis Buchanan, who was first to visit this
place in 1813, assumed without much basis that it may have been constructed by
Sher Shah after his fortification of the Rohtasgarh Fort. The same assumption
has prevailed in the writings of Bloch and Kuraishi on the subject, which
however, does not seem to represent the actual facts. Even a lay visit to the
Fort makes it quite clear that the very erection must have taken considerable
time and would not have been possible in the five years of rule generally
ascribed to the Afghan ruler.
Finally, an indication of the earlier history of
Shergarh is given in the Gazetteer of Shahabad (1966), in which P.C. Roy
Choudhary clearly mentions that the origin of this fort is a
mystery and that a casual remark of Francis Buchanan probably inspired by
the name of Sher Garh, led to his doubtful theory that Sher Shah had built this
fort, which appears to have persisted. He has reasoned out that the
fort had existed from before and was the stronghold of the Rajput chieftains,
who held Shahabad before Sher Shah, and that it thereafter came to be known as
Sher Garh because of Sher Shah’s personality.
As Sher Garh does not contain any
inscription ascribing its erection to Sher Shah, and nor has any building
symbolic of his rule, he found it intriguing that Sher Shah would built this
fort without leaving any inscriptions or representative buildings. Also, the
drawings and scrolls on the conglomerate along with the underground dancing
hall do not typically represent Sher Shah’s legacy; his being known as a pious
and orthodox Muslim with sturdy and austere character. P.C. Roy Choudhary thus
reasons out that in his very brief span as a ruler, Sher Shah after capturing
Rohtas Garh might have turned his attention to the existing fort of Sher Garh,
ideal as the second line of defence.
It is also said that, around 1400-1500 years ago it
was originally the fort of Kharwar dynasties. There were three rulers of
Kharwar clan ruling from Rohtasgarh, Shergarh (now a days name) and Sarkigarh. Bhurkuda king used to rule from this mysterious fort. In 15th
century, Bhojpur King Raja Gajpati Singh defeated the Bhurkuda's and
established their kingdom here.
In 1537 when Humayun sezied the Chunargarh from
Sher Shah, then he fled here and asked Raja Gajpati Singh to give this fort for
shelter of his families and soldiers. Raja Gajpati Singh acceded that request
and from that time this fort became famous as Sher Garh. It is also said
that after the war with Mughals, thousands of men and women died inside the
fort. And from then Buchanan says this fort is cursed and abandoned till now.
After climbing through twenty-eight feet wide
stairs constructed the whole way with awesome skill, forming short flights from
one corner of a zigzag to another, easing the ascent, one reaches to the main
entry gate of this fort. The entry gate to this fort, encircling about six
miles of area, is so grand and striking, that no one can trespass it.
The main gate opens out into two large covered
halls supported by pillars and either of them could accommodate about 1000
persons, as mentioned by the Gazetteer. Further flight of steps leads to a small gate, also
in ruins, which was once elaborately decorated with carvings. The palace
buildings are arranged around two courtyards, of which the larger one was
called as Bada Angana and the smaller one as Chhota
Angana. The larger court is surrounded by a series of oblong rooms, meant
for the attendants, galleries with covered stair and a set of ladies chambers
in the middle of each side. Some of the door jambs are seen with elaborate
carving in geometrical designs. The roofs are flat, supported on pillars and
brackets. In the centre of this larger court is a tank.
On entering the larger court, the first thing that
strikes is the near absence of over-ground structures. However on a careful
perusal, one notices the hidden passages to the underground chambers within. Standing
on a level ground, as one discovers the underground passage, one realizes that
one is actually standing on a hidden group of chambers within.
Referring to this, Buchanan described that
the area formed the roof of a number of apartments which had no light or air
except through some small apertures in the terrace. The passages into some
being filled up, he had descended into two of them by “wretched
stairs”. A first-time visitor even today can miss these chambers, if
not acquainted with their existence.
The purpose of these underground chambers is not
fully established, and they do add to the mystery surrounding the place.
Buchanan suggested that these underground chambers were meant for the
accommodation of ladies in the time of a siege and as cool resorts in hot
weather; but Kuraishi took them as store rooms. In view of the strong plaster
on their wall which had not suffered in the least till when Buchanan visited
Shergarh, there is reason to believe that they were used for residential
purposes.
The three under-ground chambers explored
till now is:
Nach-ghar or dancing hall
measuring about 48’x45’, in the south western corner consists of a 24’ square
chamber surrounded by a 8’ wide verandah and lighted by arched openings on all
the sides.
Raniwas in
north-western corner, perhaps meant for the chief lady of the harem, consists
of a larger chamber, 59’x37’, with a narrow gallery on its east, and covered by
a series of domes and vaults, supported on masonry pillars, and provided with
square ventilators at the top.
Chhota Raniwas to the north of
the tank or to the east of the Raniwas as above, consisting of a small domed
room only, but with a very fine plaster.
Several aspects of this fort including the date of its first construction and the builder still remain mysterious. Adding to the mystery are the several underground chambers that the Fort possesses, the remnants of which indicate very superior engineering skill. The mystery is deepened by the remains which lie buried under the debris and the jungle, which have the potential to spring major surprises upon proper excavation.
The site is neither properly protected and nor have proper excavations
have been carried out. The last published Gazetteer of Shahabad (1966), has
remarked that the ruined fort being a wonderful piece of nature’s handiwork,
human skill and architecture, is a beauty spot but seldom visited.
The site of Shergarh has
rather been unfortunate since despite the unique features, it has never emerged
as a tourist destination. No significant subsequent examination seems to have
taken place, and perhaps the place has not been excavated at all. It lies
unprotected left to decay at the hands of the various vagaries of nature. The
ramparts and the bastions are fast decaying and the first gate will now not
stand its own for a long time. The beautiful courtyards with the pillars having
very delicate and artistic designs, are full of jungles and snakes. The fort
chambers have often been used by the outlaws for shelter, and since they are
seldom visited by even the law enforcers, they naturally provide a safe
shelter.
The future too of the site of
Shergarh doesn’t appear bright as for almost two hundred years since Buchanan
had noticed it, hardly much has changed. The site badly needs
strong measures for its conservation, even more than it needed two centuries
earlier, if the remains are to be preserved for the benefit of the upcoming
generations.
A proper study also needs to be made about the origin and the
history of the fort. A clearing of the jungles which are eating into the
bulwarks of the fort, needs to be taken up urgently along with restoration of
the main ascending stairway. It is sure that proper excavations will definitely enlarge our scant knowledge about the
history of this region. And that would also serve as an actual tribute to the
author of the Bengal List, who in 1896, had lamented about the lack of much
knowledge about this mysterious yet grand fort.
P.S: All the above contents are inspired by Silent Pages India, a complete blog to
understand historical legacy of India by Vikas Vaibhav and excerpts
of conversation between Gargi Manish and Dr. Shyam Sunder Tiwari, whose
intensive research for Sasaram, especially for Rohtas will be remembered
forever.
Happy Travelling !!
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