Balapur Fort

Balapur Fort is a Mughal fortress in the town of Balapur in the Akola district of India. Construction on the fort was started by Mirza Azam Shah, the son of Emperor Aurangzeb and it was completed by Ismaeel Khan, the Nawab of Elichpur in 1757.

The chhatri, a canopy constructed by Mirza Raja Jaisingh, has an area of 25 square feet and a height of 33 feet. Its foundations were heavily damaged in a great flood called the 'dhvdya pur' which occurred more than 100 years ago, but after some years the damage was repaired at a cost of Rs 3,000 received from Jaipur.

The Balapur fort is situated in Balapur, a large town located at the junction of the Rivers Man and Bhains, in west-central India.

The old Gazetteer mentions that the town contained a mosque of 1737 in Kasarkhera. It further states, 'The mosque in Kasarkhera is a fair specimen of later Mughal architecture, but the arches arc too squat to be graceful; a long and somewhat bombastic inscription, exceedingly well executed and well preserved, gives as the date of construction of the mosque the year 1737. The mosque is known as the Raozah Masjid, for it contains the tomb of a local saint Maolvi Masoom Shah.' The old Gazetteer also states, 'A fine haveli in the town was built by a local saint, Sayyad Amjad, and an inscription over the principal gateway, a good specimen of Mughal architecture, conveys the information that it was built in 1703.'

Situated on an elevated ground between the two rivers, the fort has very high walls and bastions built of the best brickwork of its time. The fort has three gateways, one within the other. With Balapur hailed as an important military station during the times of the Mughals, the fort too was built keeping in mind the town's military responsibilities and position. Complex architecture used in the fort ensured its safety, as well as eased the discharge of missiles and other ammunition from within the fort, rendering it one of the most impenetrable forts in the county. During the rains, the Fort gets surrounded by floodwater except at one point. The temple of Bala Devi, from which the town has derived its name, lies just under the Fort, on the southern side.

Still in a relatively good condition, the Balapur Fort is now used by the government for offices. A quiet spot, this fort held supreme importance during the time of the Mughals.

Getting There

The Balapur fort is situated about 26 km from Akola city, at Balapur a small town located at the junction of the Rivers Man and Bhains in central India. Akola is well connected by road, railways and air to the rest of the country.

Akola Railway Junction lies on both the Mumbai-Bhusawal-Howrah rail line and the Kacheguda-Jaipur rail line. Buses as well as cab facilities are available from the railway station for further travel.

Akola has its own domestic airport known as the Akola Airport. The airport is situated at a distance of about 7 km outside the main city on National Highway No. 6. Currently there are no scheduled airlines operating at Akola Airport.

Nagpur Airport is the nearest international airport which is located at a distance of about 250 km from Akola.

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