Gobindgarh Fort

The historical Gobindgarh Fort is located in the South West of Amritsar and was built in the year 1760. Earlier it was known “Bhangian Da Qila” as it was built by the head of Bhangi Misl, Gujjar Singh Bhangi. In 1809, the ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh took control of the fort and rebuilt it under the supervision of Jodh Singh. The reconstruction work strengthened the fort and also added boldness and grace to the great structure at the same time. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh named the fort after the tenth Sikh guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.

The Maharaja took over the Fort and the Zamzama Cannon from Mai Sukhan and the Bhangies and gave them a few villages for their maintenance. The most important job for the Fort was to guard the city of Amritsar and Sri Harmandir Sahib from invaders. The city was most vulnerable to attacks as there were constant threats from the Afghans from the North-West frontier. The positioning of the Fort outside the historic walled city acted as an invincible barrier to getting through to the pilgrim city. The Fort saw significant repairs, additions and rebuilding from 1805 till 1809 under the supervision of its second governor and foreign minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Fakir Azizuddin. Large sums of money were spent to make the Fort a solid defence fortification with the help of the French Generals who had joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The fort is built in a square shape on an area of 43 acres constructed with brick and lime and has a well built barricade, four huge citadels and two strong gates. The main entrance gate is called as “Nalwa Gate” after the name of great Sikh warrior Hari Singh Nalwa while the other gate is named as “Keelar Gate” which is believed to be connected with a secret underground tunnel that used to lead to Lahore and was used as a secret escape from the enemies.

Maharaja placed 25 huge cannons on the strong barricades and iron gates which are now replaced with the modern day weapons. The Gobindgarh fort had a Toshakhana (treasury) which was used for the safekeeping of priceless treasures and treaties including the famous Kohinoor diamond. There was enough storage space in the fort to stock huge quantities of food grains and provisions for an army of 12,000 soldiers.

The Maharaja ruled successfully for forty years from the Sutlej to Indus, from Punjab Hills to Khyber Pass on the Indo-Central Asian Route. When the British subjugated Punjab in 1849, they occupied the Gobindgarh Fort and added Darbar Hall, Hawa Mahal and Phansi Ghar (execution house) as a part of their alteration plans. General O’Dyer who was responsible for the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh and the killing of more than thousand innocent people had his office and residence built next to the Phansi Ghar. One can imagine the sick mentality of the General by the fact that he did so to enjoy the view of the execution of the millions of Indian patriots and freedom fighters.

After the partition, the Indian Army took control of the fort from the British. Since it was always a military preserve, it was inaccessible to the public and tourists. It was hidden within a surrounding compound wall and concealed by trees and vegetation for so many years. More than any other military site, Gobindgarh Fort encapsulates the dramatic rise of Punjab, its golden days and then the collapse of the Sikh Kingdom when faced with the relentlessly expanding British Empire till its Independence. Finally, in 2006, the Government of India recognised the historical significance of this fortified precinct and handed over the vacant possession of the Fort to the Government of Punjab for its protection and conservation. The Government of Punjab then declared it as a historical monument under The Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remained Act in 1964.

As a mark of respect for the hundreds of thousands of patriots who were brutally killed by the British during execution at the Phansi Ghar, permission was sought to construct a memorial at this place. The memorial was proposed to salute warriors who lost their lives during General Dyer’s shocking massacre at the Jalianwala Bagh in 1919.