Jaigarh Fort

Legend has it that former ruler of Jaipur, Man Singh I, commander of Akbar's army, had conquered Afghanistan and returned with a lot of riches. But instead of surrendering it all to Akbar, he hid them in Jaigarh fort.The fort houses the world's largest cannon on wheels, a majestic palace and the assembly hall of the warriors along with a museum and an armory.

Jaigarh Fort took 700 years to be completed. It houses this cannon you see
in the picture. It is the largest wheeled cannon in the world, weighing 50 tons.

Kabir stands beside the largest cannon in the world

The sheer size of this cannon gives some idea of what a monumental task Jaivana's manufacture might have been. The Jaivana Cannon rests on six massive wheels, each 9 ft in circumference. It is 31 ft long with a 20 ft barrel that can be raised or lowered by an 8 ft tall elevating screw. Four elephants were used to rotate it. The cannon is believed to have been fired only once- towards Chakshu, 22 km away. About 100 kg of explosives launched a 50 kg iron ball which created a huge depression when it landed. The crater is now a pond.

Sahana, Kunal and Sonie listen as the guide
tells tails of this magnificent fort and its history.

Hundreds of Langurs sit around the grounds of the fort.
Each one seems to say,"What you looking at?"

Sahana, a little bored but still having fun...

A pigeon rests on the edge of the outer walls of the fort

A shot of the picturesque grounds of
the fort from one of the tiny windows