| Garhwa Fort | |
|---|---|
| Native name गढ़वा क़िला (Hindi) | |
 Garhwa fort, temple complex | |
| Location | Shankarnagar,Prayagraj district |
| Coordinates | 25°13′34″N81°35′09″E / 25.226151°N 81.585903°E /25.226151; 81.585903 |
| Built | 5th-6th CE |
| Restored by | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Architectural style(s) | Hindu |
| Governing body | Archaeological Survey of India |
Garhwa fort is a medieval fortified enclosure, housing a temple complex inPrayagraj district,Uttar Pradesh, India, belonging to theGupta Period.[1][2] It is most known for itsGadhwa Stone Inscriptions early 5th-century CE Sanskrit inscriptions byChandragupta II andKumaragupta. The fort is situated 50 km south-west ofPrayagraj, on theJabalpur road, 5 km fromShankargarh.[3]
The ancient name of Garhwa was Bhattpraya; in fact, there is a village called Bhattgarh nearby, which is currently named Bargarh.[4] The ruins of the temple were fortified in the 1750 by Vishwanath Singh Deo, aBaghelkhand ruler belonging toRewa princely state. Thefortification consisted of a square enclosure andparapets, giving a fortress kind of look. There are also two bawli (stepwell) in the complex.[4] The temple has many relics belonging to the Gupta period, which date back to as far as the 5th and 6th centuries. The most notable item in the fort is a carved slab of stone, 6-7 feet high, representing allDashavatara (10 avatars) ofLord Vishnu, belonging to the 11th or 12th century.[5][6]
Only 1 km away from the fort complex lies Bhita, an archeological site dating toMauryan and Post-Mauryan era (320 BCE - 185 BCE). Here the remains of an ancient Indian town were discovered, complete with extensive housing blocks along several streets, where some houses had up to fifteen rooms arranged around a large open courtyard. This site was first explored byAlexander Cunningham in the 1870s, uncovered a series of5th-century CE Sanskrit inscriptions ofGupta era, and later byJohn Marshall. Subsequently, aMukhalinga, that a Shivlinga with five faces. dating to the 2nd century BCE was also discovered on the site.[7]
On December 18, 2024, one of the earliest knownprashasti (eulogy) inscription found in India mentioning worship of KingRama duringRam Navami festival, was discovered here. It dates toChaitraShukla pakshaEkadashi, 1152Vikram Samvat (11th day in Chaitra month, 1096 CE), in the reign of theChandela kingKirtivarman (1060-1100 CE), whose minister Vatsaraja issued the edict. The ruined temple in the Garhwa Fort complex commemorates the site on the banks of theYamuna River, where Rama, Lakshman, and Sita spent a night on their way toChitrakuta, from where they proceed to crossingGanges River atShringverpur.[8]
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25°13′34″N81°35′09″E / 25.2262°N 81.5858°E /25.2262; 81.5858