Jaitak Fort is situated about 15 km from district headquarters Nahan in District Sirmour in the

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

state of India. Situated 1479 meters above sea level, fort Jaitak is notable due to its location and affords a view of the surrounding countryside due to its strategic setting.

History

Jaitak Fort, situated in the Jaitak Hills, is believed to have been built using the material recovered from the destroyed Nahan Fort. The Jaitak Fort was built by the

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...

leader, Ranjor Singh Thapa, and his brave men in 1810, after attacking and ransacking the Nahan Fort and Palace. It was here that the most important battle was fought between the British forces and the Gurkhas. From the Gurkhas, Kaji Amar Singh Thapa led the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...

's Army. The battle fought between 26 December 1814 to 15 May 1815. As a result, the Nepali Army defeated the British and Sirmour joint army under the leadership of

Amar Singh Thapa Amar Singh Thapa distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa(), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkha Kingdom, Gorkhali mil ...

. 600 soldiers were reported to die in this war.

Location

About 15 km to the north of Nahan, Jamta falls on the Nahan-Dadahu motorable road. An ascent of about 3 km has to be negotiated form Jamta to gain Jaitak. A hill fortress one crowned the Jaitak hill which is a steep ridge of slate and which rises above the Kayarda Dun, 30–36' north and 77-24' east, in the Nahan tehsil. The elevation above the sea level is about 1479 m.

Gallery

Ruins of Jaitak Fort from Haweli.JPG, Ruins of Jaitak Fort from Haweli Ruins of Fort.JPG, Ruins of the fort Jaitak fort Haweli.JPG, Jaitak Fort Haweli War Mamorial.JPG, War memorial in Jaitak fort Jaitak Fort.JPG, Statues in Jaitak fort

References

{{reflist Forts in Himachal Pradesh Buildings and structures in Sirmaur district