Chunar Fort

Replete with legends, the Chunar Fort lies 37 km from Varanasi and is skirted by the Ganga on two sides. The fort was first constructed in 56 BC, and duly changed hands of ownership from the Afghan and Mughal rulers, to the British until 1947. The first Governor General of India, Warren Hastings also took shelter here when a rebellion broke out in 1781. His house can still be seen in the fort. The fort is often used as a backdrop for TV shows and Bollywood movies. Of these Chandrakanta, and the 2012 Bollywood movie, Gangs of Wasseypur are the most famous. Secret tunnels and hidden pathways are the highlights of this white bastion. It is not uncommon to find military presence here as this used to be a part of a training centre of the army.