Gobingarh Fort

Gobingarh Fort, earlier known by the name Bhangian Da Kila, is present from the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (founder of Sikh empire) and is thus rightly termed as the oldest surviving fort. It was built by the army of Gujjar Singh Bhangi of Misl (clan) in the 18th century. It was later re-built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with the help of Jodh Singh. The Maharaja took over the fort in the early 19th century during his expansionist missions in order to keep his treasures in safety including the Kohinoor Diamond.
Gobingarh Fort has been a witness to many historic events including the independence struggles, which is quite visible on the fort’s layering of military architectural style. It comprises two concentric layers of equipped walls with bastions and can be entered through two successive gateways. The inner enclosure includes numerous buildings, which have an obvious colonial feel. The British colonials first occupied this fort in 1849 which was under the army's possession for nearly 150 years. It is said that British Army General O Dyer (the person behind the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh in 1919) constructed an execution house in front of his office-cum-residence to experience the pleasure of watching the execution of prisoners. The British added the Darbar Hall, Hawa Mahal and trapped home to the fort. Later in October 1948, the Indian army took control of the fort. After partition, the fort offered a temporary protection to a large number of immigrants from Pakistan. The fort that occupies a sole place in Indian military history is currently under renovation and it will soon be open to public visits.