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The remains of the fort of the rulers of
Kangra are located on a
strategic height, overlooking the 'Ban Ganga' and 'Manjhi' rivers.
A saying goes, "He who holds the fort, holds the Kangra" that is
why many invaders sacked it. It once used to be the seat of power of
Katoch Rajas. Inaccessible cliffs surround the fort on three sides. Once
it was an imposing structure of stone. In its highest part were the
residences and temples of the old Katoch Kings.
The earthquake of 1905 proved too much for the fort. Its entire structure
collapsed and now nothing but its surrounding wall is left. Among its
ruins, besides the temple of goddess Ambika Devi, there are two Jain
temples too. One of them represents the Tirthankar Adinath. The partly
obliterated inscription on it bears the year 1466 AD.
Legend has it that the fort was built by Raja Susharma Chandra after the
Mahabharata war. At one time the fort, which occupies a long strip of
land, was enclosed with high ramparts and walls covering a circuit of
about 4-km. The fort is located at the end of Old Kangra town and is a
protected monument maintained by the Archeological Survey of India.