Phillaur Fort

The Phillaur Fort is a nice place to visit. Not only Indian tourists, but the tourists from other countries also find the place quite good. The very fort is a witness of many old days. Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave a proper shape of a fort to the property that was a Serai earlier. And since then the fort has become a very important place in the region. Inside the fort, you will see the holy Mazar of Pir Baba Abdullah Shah Ji that always offers a spiritual experience to all the visitors. There is also a museum inside the place that carries many important historical objects that always succeed to fascinate the visitors. 

The Phillaur fort  has a fascinating history behind it. Situated on the Grand Trunk  Road,  it  has a great  historical background. The  town  of  Phillaur in which  the  fort is located owes it origin to a Sanghera Jat, Phul,  who named it after himself as “Phulnagar”. The Naru Rajputs of Mau,  a nearby  township, had  cast covetous  eyes  on  Phillaur  and  eventually under their Chief Rae Shahr  they wrested it from the Jats. Rae Rattan  Pal,  the son of Rae Shahr, liked it so much that he abandoned Mau and settled in Phillaur. The Jats then left the place.Later, however, at some period unknown, the  Rajputs also deserted it. Nothing is known thereafter until the reign of the  Mughal  Emperor Shah  Jahan  (1627-1658) when  an  imperial  Sarai  was  built  at  Phillaur. Later, the town was   occupied  by Kakarah Sikhs  and  held  until  Mahraja  Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) seized all  the Kakarah Estates. After  the  collapse  of  the Mughal Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh sent  Dewan Mohkam Chand,about the year 1809, to take possession of the Imperial Serai and converted it into  a formidable Fort with the help of his French and Italian officers, namely Generals Ventura, Allard, and Avitabile. It  was built  in  reply  to  the  British  who  had  built a  small  Fort  at Ludhiana on the  remnants said to be of an old Lodhi Fort, and to guard  the  ferry of Phillaur. The British occupied this Fort in 1846  after the Sikhs  were  defeated in the battle of Aliwal. Phillaur, thereafter, became  a Cantonment  and  Fort remained under the charge of Army authorities till 1890 when it  was handed over to the  Civil authorities and has been used thereafter for police training purposes. The fort was renamed as ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort’ by the Punjab Government by a notification dated 6th April, 1973.

The Mazar

The fort enshrines under one of its domes the mausoleum of a  saint fondly remembered as Pir Baba Abdullah Shah Ji. He had sacrificed his life to uphold the human values of love and kindness as per the following legend. A wall of the fort  constructed during day time  under orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh would mysteriously  collapse during the  night and thus affected the work. The Maharaja was advised by religious heads to offer sacrifice of some male person belonging to the priest class who should be the only son of a widow. A Brahmin boy of Phillaur, who fulfilled these conditions, was brought before Maharaja Ranjit  Singh for the sacrifice, The wails and lamentations of boy’s mother attracted the attention of  Pir Abdullah Shah who lived nearby. The Pir offered himself for the sacrifice and petitioned to the Maharaja to accept him as he fulfilled all the conditions. The Maharaja agreed  to the offer and the boy was released. Pir Abdullah Shah, it is said, was then immured alive in the north eastern wall of the fort and the construction of the fort was thus  completed. The Mazar, over the years has been a source of great spiritual inspiration to the police personnel and the people who come from near and far away places to pay their respects to the revered Pir and his legend.

The historical state of Punjab has been ruled by many brave rulers of the country since ages which has resulted in the formation of eye-catching buildings, monuments and luxurious palaces. While the rural Punjab is known across the country for its lush green terrains, paddy fields and wheat productions, the urban areas are known for their association with the chivalric tales of Sikh Gurus and valiant rulers. The forts and palaces built in the different corners of the state are highly praised for their historical and scientific architectural value. The artistic excellence of most of these heritage buildings is worth praising and provides the history buffs with enough of information to keep thinking of. But, it is not possible for one to explore all of these attractions in a short trip. So, in this blog of Punjab Heritage & Cultural Travel Guide we have listed the best forts and palaces which are must see during your holidays in Punjab.