“A Fort with fading history and forgotten heroes…”
The Chunar Fort (also known as Chandrakanta Chunargarh and Charanadri) is located in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, in India. Along with Chunar town, situated below the fort, the two are historic places with common history and legends. It is located 14 miles (23 km) south west of Varanasi. The southeastern part of the fort is on the rocky bank of the Ganges River. The fort’s history spans from 56 BC and then between Afghan decedent Sher Shah Suri’s (1532) rule, the Mughal Empire rule (Humayun, Akbar and many others including Nawab of Awadh) up to 1772, and finally the British Raj up to 1947 till India gained independence.Chunar railway station is on the Mughalsarai-Kanpur section of Howrah-Delhi main line
This fort is at a distance of almost 40 kms from Varanasi and 30 KM to Mirzapur city. It was built at a turning of river Ganga; Hence provides a great view of the River and the surrounding. It is said that Ujjain’s King Vikramaditya built the initial fort for his religious brother ‘Varthari” who is worshipped as Saint Varthari even today.
There is a jail and an underground isolation ward.
There is a perennial ‘Royal Well’ where queens and their maids used to take bath and the well was well connected with the Ganga. The stony steps are demolished at many places so noone can reach at the bottom of the well now.