SHRIVI's TRAVELOGUES: Kashmir Diaries : Trek to Hari Parbhat - A fort steeped in History (April 2016)

Kashmir Diaries : Trek to Hari Parbhat

One of the very beautiful highlights of our Kashmir Trip in April 2016 was a visit to Badaam Wari(Almond Garden) in Srinagar, Kashmir, which rests in the foothills of Koh-E-Maran. This 300 kanal garden is dotted with trees, flowers and cascades which turn it into a beautiful and soothing sight.

Entry gate of Badaam Wari or The Almond Garden

This is another beautiful offbeat place in Kashmir and it is relatively less crowded compared to the other hot destinations like the various Mughal Gardens. So you can relax and enjoy this place to the fullest. Thousands of Almond trees grow all over Kashmir and for the local people the blooming of almond flowers indicate the onset of spring. The Almonds from these gardens are known for their superior taste and high quality.

Group Click at Badaam Wari with
part of our group

Badaam Wari done, and loads of pics taken, we decided to check out the possibility of trekking the Hari Parbhat fort which was very close-by.

One of the sign posts on the way...

This fort is currently occupied by the army and tourists need to get entry permit from the Archeological Department's office at Lal Mandi in Srinagar to visit this fort. We were lucky that this fort was open at the time we went as many a time and for many years this fort has been closed to the public due to security reasons. So when we got to know that the fort visit was open for the day, the trekkers in our group immediately decided to jump in on this opportunity to trek this fort, as opportunities such as these are rare and not to miss and having come from so far and given the security situation in Kashmir.

Hari Parbhat Fort - History

And you can see the Hari Parbhat fort clearly in view..

Hari Parbhat is the only surviving fort in the Kashmir region of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It stands over a hill also known as Koh-I-Maran and originally was a site of a fort built by Emperor Akbar. He had also built a large fortification wall at the base of the Hill, parts of which survive even today. The present structure was built by the Afghans, when Kashmir was part of the Afghan Durani Empire under Shah Shuja Durani. Ironically, Shah Shuja Durani was himself held prisoner in the fort by the Governor of Kashmir, Atta Muhammed Khan. Atta Muhammed Khan had invited Shah Shuja to come to Kashmir from where he could still go on ruling as the King of Afghanistan. Shah Shuja took up the offer only to find himself as Atta Muhammed Khan's prisoner at the Hari Parbhat fort. However a force of Durani Afghans in alliance with the Sikhs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh landed in Kashmir soon and the Sikhs got Shah Shuja Durani free from his prison inside the Hari Parbhat fort. The Sikh flag of Maharaja Ranjit Singh finally flew over the Hari Parbhat fort when the Sikhs under the able leadership of Gen. Hari Singh Malwa finally defeated the Afghans in 1820. After a brief rule of Sikh rule in Kashmir the fort changed hands and landed in the hands of the Dogras led by Raja Gulab Singh after the Sikh loss in the First Anglo Sikh war of 1846. The Dogra rule lasted for about 100 years and in 1947 it became part of India and since then the fort has been occupied by the Security Forces.

It is a lovely trek, about 1 km uphill and not too strenuous with some amazing views of Srinagar on the way to the top.

On the way up...

This fort still stands as proud as ever on the vantage point overlooking the Srinagar City.

An amazing view of Srinagar on the trek trail

An inside view of the Hari Parbhat fort...

A view of Srinagar through the Barricades...

The fort Hillside holds some important places of worship for various religious inclinations. There is the shrine of Makhroom Sahib, a saint held in great reverence by the Kashmiri Muslims. There is the Shakira Devi Mandir, who is worshipped as an Incarnation of SHAKTI. Then there is the Chati Padshahi Gurudwara, where the sixth Guru, Guru HarGobind had supposedly preached and stayed for a few days during a visit to Kashmir.