Kamru Fort

Kamru fort is an ancient wooden fort located on a hill a few kilometers from Sangla town. It was the original seat of the Bushahr dynasty that ruled from here. The capital was later shifted to Sarahan and then to Rampur, from where the last king Padam Singh ruled. The entrance to the hill has an arch to demarcate the beginning of the Kamru fort area. There are many families that live within this hill fort and you can see the Kinnauri women doing their every day work and some of the older ones chatting on the steps leading to the fort. Mid-way on the hill is Badri Narayan temple. You see woodcarvings all around when you stand in the middle of this temple complex. From here another flight of steps takes you to gate of Kamru fort where you must wear the Kinnauri cap on your head and a Gachhi around your waist to enter. Main door is closed now and you enter from a side gate. In the center of the complex stands the Kamakshi Devi temple, the idol of this temple is said to have come from the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. On the right side stands a 5 storey wooden fort. The fort is in dilapidated state and you are not allowed to enter it. The windows at the top of the fort made me want to go there and see the view of the valley around. I took the next best alternative and walked around the complex to admire the hills from a vantage point and then I knew why the kings chose this place for their fort.