Jaigarh

What makes a fort a heritage site? Is it only its architecture, its structures and the objects it preserves? Or is it equally shaped by the beliefs, rituals and practices that have continued within its walls?

At Jaigarh, tangible and intangible heritage exist alongside one another. The temples within the fort, including Mehandi Balaji ka Mandir, are part of its physical landscape. The traditions associated with these spaces, however, reveal another dimension of its history.

Consider where Mehandi Balaji ka Mandir stands: near Nathawaton ka Tanka, within the same landscape of stone and structure. Here, faith is not set apart from the built fort but placed within it. While walls, cannons and architectural spaces preserve the material history of Jaigarh, its places of worship and continuing traditions help us understand the lives and beliefs that shaped it.

Perhaps to understand a fort fully, we must look beyond what it was built with, and consider what was practised, believed and passed down within it.