Taragarh Fort
The Taragarh Fort in Kota was built in 1345 and was the center of a kingdom in Rajasthan. Within the fort there are large reservoirs where water was stored in case of a siege, when all the towns folk took shelter within the walls of the fort.
These reservoirs are carved out of the rocky base of the fort. On the largest rampart of the fort is the Bhim Burj, a large and legendary cannon. The view of Kota town from Taragarh Fort is spectacular, particularly at twilight and just after sunset. This large fort is an interesting place to spend a day, wandering around its ruins and defensive structures.
The main entrance to the imposing Taragarh fort is located some 39 km's away from the town centre that can be approached by a sharply sloping road.The main gateway of the fort has some meticulous carvings of elephants. Infact, there are three gateways to the fort.
They are named Lakshmi Pol, Phuta Darwaza and Gagudi ki Phatak. Most parts of these impressive gateways are now in ruins. During its heydays, Taragarh fort was renowned for its tunnels crisscrossing the entire hillside. These tunnels allowed the king and his deputies to flee in case there was an imminent danger to their lives from enemies.
Legend
According to local belief, a huge fortune lies somewhere inside the Taragarh fort. It is said that the fortune was guarded by an Afghan family of warriors and even the king never had direct access to it.
But with the death of the last Pathan warrior during World War I, the secret was lost for ever. Locals say that the fortune consists of precious gold, diamonds, rubies and gems. Though a few missions were launched by later rulers to find the treasure, all efforts have been in vain.
