Kalinjar
General
Information (Kalinjar)
Situated at a distance of 280 km from Jhansi, this town and the
fort, whic
h
have had strategic important since the earliest of times, are
located in the ancient land of Jejakbhukti, which is an integral
part of Bundelkhand. The fort, a stronghold of the Chandelas from
the 9th to the 15th century AD, remained an invincible citadel,
prized for its location, right uptil the time of the Mughals.
During its eventful existence, the fort was subject to numerous
attacks by Mohammed Ghazni, Qutb-Ud-Din Aibak and Humayun who
invaded this stronghold of the Chandelas. It was Akbar who finally
conquered it in 1569 and bequeathed it as a gift to Birbal, one
of his “nine jewels”. From Birbal, it went to Chhatrasal,
the legendary Bundela warrior and then to Hardev Shah of Panna.
In 1812 it fell into the hands of the British. This fort with
its romantic and extraordinary history is well worth a visit.
The township of Kalinjar was also once enclosed within a high
rampart wall with four gateways, only, three of which exist today.
These are popularly known as the Kamta Dwar, Panna Dwar and Rewa
Dwar .
Area
: 25 sq. km.
Altitude : 381.25 mtrs. Above sea level.
Season : Year round except for the summer months of April,
May, June.
Clothing : Summer - Cottons; Winter - Woolen .
Language : Hindi, English, Bundeli.
STD Code : 0519-70
Excursions (Kalinjar)
Khjuraho : Khajuraho 172 km site of the now world-famous
temples built between 950 AD and 1050 AD by the Chandelas. Only
25 temples have survived, but they are masterpieces of architecture.
Dedicated to the Lord Shiva, these temples celebrate the human
form and man's spiritual and physical aspects.
Chitrakoot:
80 km 'the hill of many wonders,' nestles peacefully in the northern
spurs of the Vindhyas. This loveliest of nature's gifts is also
hallowed ground, blessed by the gods and sanctified by the faith
of pilgrims. A city with more than legendary significance, it
was the abode of Lord Ram and Sita for eleven year when in exile,
the place where Sage Atri and Sati Anusuya meditated, the divine
spot saw the incarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This holy
city is dotted with innumerable temples and shrines today.
Sightseeing (Kalinjar)
Kalinjar Fort : Situated at a height of 700 ft. on the
Vindhya ranges, this fort is accessible through seven gateways-the
Alamgir Darwaza, Ganesh Dwar, Chauburji Darwaza, Buddha Bhadra
Darwaza, Hanuman Dwar, Lal Darwaza and Bara Darwaza. Within the
fort are two palaces-the Raja Mahal and the Rani Mahal, as well
as several other places of interest. These include Sita Sej, a
small cave containing a stone bed and pillow once used by hermits;
a reservoir known as Patal Ganga; Pandu-Kund, where water trickles
from the horizontal crevices of stratified rocks; Buddha-Budhi
taal, whose waters are believed to possess healing qualities;
Bhairon-ki-Jharia or Manduk Bhairon; the Mrigdhara or Antelope’s
spring situated within an inner chamber of the rampart, and Koito
Birth, which is an important place of pilgrimage where lepers
are believed to be cured.
Neelkanth Temple :
This temple was built by the Chandela ruler Parmardi dev. In a
niche by the rock-cut Swagger Roan pool, stands a colossal 18-armed
image of Al Bhairav, the fearsome aspect of Lord Shiva.
Vankhandeshwar Mahadev Temple:
Located at the source of the Shivasari Ganga, this temple is also
worth a visit. Kalinjar today is a small village, all modern amenities
including hotels restaurants, banks are available at Banda or
Chitrakoot.
Travel Information (Kalinjar)
Air : Nearest airport is Khajuraho - 130 km.
Rail : The nearest railway station is Atarra- 38 km.
Road : Kalinjar is accessible through roads from all the
neighbouring cities.
Some of the major road distances are
Chitrakoot-78 km, Banda-62 km, Khajuraho-130 km, Allahabad-205
km.
