Barabati Fort

En un regard

Le château en bref

At the heart of Cuttack, on the tongue of land formed by the Mahanadi and the Kathajodi, Barabati Fort was for centuries the seat of power in Odisha. Founded in the thirteenth century under the Eastern Gangas, it was subsequently used by the Gajapati Suryavamsis, the Bhois, and then by Mughal and Maratha governors before passing to the British in 1803. Of the citadel described by travellers, only a few elevations survive today: an arched eastern gateway, stone facing walls to the east and south, a large central mound where the palace is thought to have stood, and above all the moat, locally known as the Gada Khai, roughly thirty metres wide on average. Excavations have uncovered the bases of pillars of a vast hall and sculpted fragments. The site, some hundred acres in extent, has been laid out as a garden frequented by local residents; it adjoins Barabati Stadium and remains associated with the Bali Jatra festival, which commemorates Odisha's maritime tradition.