Bandhavgarh Fort

The Bandhavgarh Fort is situated in Bandhavgarh in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located on the Bandhavgarh hill, rising 811 meters above sea level at the centre of the Bandhavgarh National Park. It is surrounded by a large number of smaller hills separated by gently sloping valleys. These valleys end in small, swampy meadows, locally known as 'bohera'. The fort is also home to many of the endangered species of Vulture in IndiaOriginNo records are available to show when Bandhavgarh fort was constructed. It is thought, however, to be some 2000 years old, and there are references to it in the ancient books, the "Narad-Panch Ratra" and the "Shiva Purana". Regional folklore suggests that Bandhavgarh Fort was constructed by rulers of the Gond Empire. Gond kings of the Pandro caste are the original builders of this fort, and descendants of Gond kings still live near the fort. Gond kings constructed 12 talab ponds, of which only few remain. This fort's construction and architecture are similar to other forts built by Gond Kings.The Vanganga stream originates from Bandhavgarh Fort's hill. In Gondi language, van means surname and ganga loosely translates to a pure stream. That may suggest that Pandro, the surname of Gond kings, may have originated from "Vanganga". The Bandhavgarh fort derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which is said to be given by Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh (bandhav as brother, garh as fort).