Nandana Fort

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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View of Nandana Fort

Nandana Fort Baghanwala in Jhelum district Pakistan

Jhelum-Gujrat in Pakistan

Nandana Fort was a fort built at strategic location on a hilly range on the eastern flanks of the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its ruins, including those of a town and a temple, are present.

Variants

• Nandna Fort (Punjabi: نندنا)
• Nandana Pass
• Fort of Nandana

Location

Nandana fort is strategically situated at the hilltop nearby Baghanwala village of District Jhelum in the eastern flank of the salt range, accessible from both the Motorway and GT Road.

History

It was ruled by the Hindu Shahi kings until, in the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni expelled them from Nandana. Al-Biruni carried out his measurements of the circumference of the Earth here.

Anandapala, the son of Jayapala of the Hindu Shahi dynasty, had erected the Shiva temple in Nandana.

Twelve centuries old, Nandana Fort has such a rich history with events of great impact on the region. It is said that the foundation of the Nandana Fort was laid in the 8th/9th century by a Prince of the Hindu Shahi dynasty. It was named after the mythological garden “Nandana” of a Hindu Lord by the name of Indra. Nandana fort is strategically situated at the hilltop nearby Baghanwala village of District Jhelum in the eastern flank of the salt range, accessible from both the Motorway and GT Road.

Nandana Fort was built for surveillance of the Nandana Pass and as a deterrent for invaders from empires in the west and north. Nandana Pass was the ancient stone paved road which used to connect Delhi with the capitals of modern day Afghanistan and Central Asia. Renowned Dutch scholar P.H.L Eggermont, in his eminent book, ‘Alexander’s Campaign in Southern Punjab’ mentioned Nandana Pass as the very route which was used by Alexander the Great for a grand clash of titans; Alexander the Great vs. Raja Porus, in the battle of Hydaspes in 326 B.C. Interestingly, it is also believed that horses of Alexander’s army first discovered the origin of the salt mines of Khewra during the same campaign.

What we have today in the Nandana are the ruins of a fort with a temple and a mosque. The temple is known as the Shiva temple which was built by Anandapala, son of the King of Hindu Shahi Raj “Jayapala” in the medieval times, most probably in the 9th century. The mosque was built after Mehmood of Ghazni took over this place from the Hindu Shahi Raj. Nandana Fort was surmounted by Mehmood of Ghazni in 1013 or in 1017 according to some sources. It is the same place which is believed to be Abu Rayhan al-Biruni’s observatory in the 11th century where he quantified the radius and circumference of the earth.

During the Mughal Empire, Nandana was regarded as a place of leisure. Mughal emperors Jalal ud-Din Akbar and Jahangir have mentioned Nandana as a place for hunting and leisure in the 16th and 17th century. No wonder; this is a marvellous valley.

Today, an institutional effort to uplift the standards of infrastructure, mechanism of preservation and qualitative marketing of sites with archaeological and religious significance are required that can surely help to industrialise the sector of tourism in the region.

Buddha Prakash mentions

Buddha Prakash mentions ....About 1112 Anandapala died leaving the throne to his son Trilochanapala. Soon afterwards Mahmud prepared to attack the Shahi kingdom and launched a sudden onslaught on the Fort of Nandana. Taken aback, Trilocanapala entrusted the command of his army to his son Bhimapala and himself went about mobilising other forces. Bhima posted himself at the head of a narrow mountain pass barring it with his elephants. Mahmud tried his best to break through it. The battle raged for several days. In that critical situation Trilocanapala appealed for help to the Kashmiri King Sangramaraja (1003-1028 A.D.). On this appeal the king sent his Prime Minister Tunga, who had already married a Shahi princess Bimba to his son, with a large army to the help of the Shahi monarch. Tunga was bubbling with enthusiastic eagerness to pounce on the Turks and ‘‘gave no thought to night watches, the posting of scouts, the military exercises and other preparations proper for attack”. Trilocanapala, who was acquainted with the strategy of warfare with the Turks, counselled him restraint and advised him to keep posted on the scarf of a hill at the entrance of of the Tosmaidan Pass. But he paid scant heed to it and “crossed with rather a small force to the other bank of the Tausi (modern Tohi of Prunts) and defeated a corps which Hammira (the Turkish Sultan) had sent on reconnaissance”. This inflated his pride on account of which he spurned the repeated advice of the Shahi ruler. Next morning Mahmud unexpectedly led his full army catching Tunga unawares. His army dispersed in disorder. But Trilocanapala rallied whatever force he could and gave battle. The Damara chiefs,

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[p.146]: Shrivardhana, Vibhramarka and Jayasimha, showed prodigies of valour. “These three men, fighting on the terrible field of battle, which resounded with the tramps of horses, preserved the honour of their country from being lost”. The performance of Trilocanapala was wonderful. “Causing floods of blood to pour forth in battle, he resembled Shiva (Trilochana) when sending forth the fire which burns the world at the end of the Kalpa”. His singlehanded fighting led the historian Kalhana to exclaim, “who would describe the greatness of Trilocanapala whom numberless enemies even could not defeat in battle” (A. Stein, Rajatarangini, Vol. 1, p. 272-73).

After this victory Mahmud invaded Kashmira through the Tosmaidan Pass and “carried away much booty in the shape of prisoners of war and gold and, after converting many infidels to Islam and laying the foundations of Islam, went back to Ghazni”.(Tabqat-i-Akbari, p. 8).

Tourism

The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) was tasked by the Prime Ministers Office to rehabilitate the site with the aim of making it an international tourist destination. Prime Minister Imran Khan had been informed of the decrepit state of the site by his wife's nephew, Shahroze Khan, who had previously heard about the state of the fort from Paul Salopek, a New York Times contributor. In February 2021, the PM and several aides and cabinet members attended an official event celebrating the restoration of the site.

Gallery

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  View of Nandana Fort

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  View of Nandana Fort wall

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  Nandana Fort Shiva Temple Ruins

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  Ruins of Nandna Fort Remainants of room on the hill foot May be part of Fort

References

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