Chunar Fort
Chunar Fort
3.5
About
We provide guided tour of chunar fort and chunar town,chunar is 20 minutes drive from varanasi
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Chunar Fort and nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.5
42 reviews
Excellent
11
Very good
12
Average
13
Poor
5
Terrible
1
Debarati D
Navi Mumbai, India1,674 contributions
Nov 2012 • Family
There are few forts in India like Chunargadh that are associated with so many legends and folklore. Many of us are aware of the first modern hindi prose – a series of novels ‘Chandrakanta Santati’ by Devaki Nandan Khatri, which featured the eccentric king Shivdutt of Chunargadh. Many of us would also remember the 90’s TV serial Chandrakanta based on the first novel. The writer was inspired by the Chunar fort which is said to be originally founded by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain as early as 56 BC. Its strategic location on an extension of the Vindhya mountains in close proximity of the mighty Ganges meant that several rulers vied for its control at different times in history. Locals claim that there exist underground tunnels connecting the fort with important places in India. Deep unraveled mysteries still abound its premises. Unfortunately a very small portion of the fort is open for tourists. A larger part of the fort is used by the state police as a training facility. The fort, which could have been a star tourist attraction, suffers from the apathy of both the state govt and ASI(Archaeological Survey of India).
We travelled about 40 km south of the holy city of Varanasi to visit Chunargadh fort. After crossing a pontoon bridge (a bridge of boats) on Ganges, we approached a hill overlooking the river and its adjoining plains. The view from the top is breathtaking. Personnel from the police training institute are in charge of the premises. They looked suspiciously at my camera lens and instructed us not to venture into the area where the training facilities are situated. A few locals loiter around the place offering their services as guides. We were told that this fort was a favourite retreat of the first East India Company governor general Warren Hastings. His huge mansion and a sundial still stand. But these are in the restricted area and cannot be visited by tourists. However, ASI is now in the process of reclaiming the fort and the police training facility would move out raising hopes of better management of the heritage structures.
We were able to view some of the structures still preserved. Notable among them is the Sonwa Mandap associated with the story of a queen named Sonwa , a structure which was used as a juvenile correctional center by Warren hastings, a large well and some pavilions. A beautiful mansion is now used as a govt guest house.
It is still a mystery to me why the tourism potential of this majestic fort in such a picturesque location has not been exploited so far.
We travelled about 40 km south of the holy city of Varanasi to visit Chunargadh fort. After crossing a pontoon bridge (a bridge of boats) on Ganges, we approached a hill overlooking the river and its adjoining plains. The view from the top is breathtaking. Personnel from the police training institute are in charge of the premises. They looked suspiciously at my camera lens and instructed us not to venture into the area where the training facilities are situated. A few locals loiter around the place offering their services as guides. We were told that this fort was a favourite retreat of the first East India Company governor general Warren Hastings. His huge mansion and a sundial still stand. But these are in the restricted area and cannot be visited by tourists. However, ASI is now in the process of reclaiming the fort and the police training facility would move out raising hopes of better management of the heritage structures.
We were able to view some of the structures still preserved. Notable among them is the Sonwa Mandap associated with the story of a queen named Sonwa , a structure which was used as a juvenile correctional center by Warren hastings, a large well and some pavilions. A beautiful mansion is now used as a govt guest house.
It is still a mystery to me why the tourism potential of this majestic fort in such a picturesque location has not been exploited so far.
Written 25 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vineetkumar
New Delhi, India241 contributions
Sept 2012 • Friends
ChunarGarh’s claim to fame: Ashoka the Great [The mighty Magadhan Emperor of Indian subcontinent and the one considered as the greatest Emperor the world has seen] inscriptions and pillars scattered at the important trade routes and strategic locations in south Asia were made from the sandstone of the adjoining Chunar Hills. The Chunarfort is at the top of these hills. In medieval times, this was the FORT to be captured to rule and control the highly volatile Eastern region. One of the mightiest fortresses of medieval era, it caught the attention of Humayun - the Mughal King and Sher Shah, the Afghan ruler, drawing both to the battlefield with a common purpose – this fort had to be captured. Situated at the Ganges, it has a majestic view as the river hits the fort and takes a sharp turn providing a two way view of the mighty Ganges.
Though now a days, it is not in its best shape and rarely attracts tourists though locals still go to see the place. One of the police camps is located inside the fort which definitely provides safety to the place but also keep tourists away. The UP govt need to pay attention for its renovation and restoration as an important piece of history. Nearby, visitors can find British Cemetery which is at the brink of complete damage due to lack of apathy by the ASI.
Though now a days, it is not in its best shape and rarely attracts tourists though locals still go to see the place. One of the police camps is located inside the fort which definitely provides safety to the place but also keep tourists away. The UP govt need to pay attention for its renovation and restoration as an important piece of history. Nearby, visitors can find British Cemetery which is at the brink of complete damage due to lack of apathy by the ASI.
Written 16 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SriAbhi
Delhi613 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
Believe it or not, this fort has several legends associated with it. Its story goes to earlier than the recorded history with the place being associated with the Vaman avtar of Vishnu and king Bali, Vikramaditya who started the well known Vikrami Samvat (Indian Calender) and his brother Bhartari and with several other legends. Novel Chandrakanta was also inspired by the adjoining area and this fort is part of the story as Chunargarh. Strategically located at a high hill on the southern bank of river Ganga it must have been a tough target for the enemies to attack the fort. A view of river Ganga from the high fort walls on North is awesome due to the height. Though the fort is occupied by police force, its not well maintained but still stands strong depicting its history. Situated close to Varanasi is best approachable from there, though its not very frequently visited by tourists it is certainly under rated jewel from ancient Indian history.
Written 10 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adhiraj
Mirzapur, India29 contributions
Sept 2013 • Solo
The Chunar Fort is not a very big fort as forts go, but a very interesting one. Unfortunately, since the place is occupied by the state police as a training centre, a very small and uninteresting part is open to visitors,hence the rating. The Fort has 2 distinct forms of architecture---Hindu and Islamic. It's recorded history can be traced back to1191, and of the parts that are open, only Sher Shah's pavilion is properly maintained. The Commandant of the PAC Centre occupies Akbar's pavilion as his residence...a pity, since it's very interesting. The rest of the fort is falling apart, and no one seems to care. The only thing nice about the Fort nowadays is the view from atop the hill, which has a long vista of the Ganga from West to East. On a clear day,or actually a clear night, it is said you can see the lights of Varanasi from Sher Shah's pavilion.
The approach to the fort is a narrow road going up the hill from Chunar town, and there used to be a big old and very interesting cemetery at the foot of the hill, but only a small portion is left.
The approach to the fort is a narrow road going up the hill from Chunar town, and there used to be a big old and very interesting cemetery at the foot of the hill, but only a small portion is left.
Written 26 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ag1805x
Kuopio, Finland34 contributions
Sept 2018 • Friends
The fort locaed on the banks of Ganga is comparatively small and mostly occupied by PAC and UP police. Only a small portion is open for tourists. As per local guides, ASI is on the process of taking over the entire fort and police will move out making it more more tourist accessible.
Written 4 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amit P
1 contribution
Feb 2018 • Friends
Chunar fort is a very old fort and famous fort in mirzapur utter Pradesh....very tourist daily rech and enjoy
Written 18 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter S
Canberra, Australia346 contributions
Aug 2016
I specifically wanted to see Chunar fort, but my visit was marred by the limited access allowed to the fort and by the almost total lack of interpretation. What can be seen is interesting, and the vista over the Ganges is striking, but the lack of signage makes a visit a matter of guesswork. Don't forget to see the British cemetery below the walls, but it is badly overgrown and vandalised.
Written 17 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Traveller, Thanks for your visit and comments. There are many other attractions like Ascharya Koop(Wonder Well),Pottery Workshops etc nearby fort areas. We wish you visit again and give us opportunity to show you rich culture and heritage of Chunar Fort & Town. Regards, Sameer 00-91-9650024171
Written 22 September 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Swagata D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India82 contributions
Jun 2015
This fort is at a distance of almost 22-24 kms from Varanasi city. It was built at a turning of river Ganga; Hence provides a great view of the River and the surrounding. It is said that Ujjain's King Vikramaditya built the initial fort for his religious brother 'Varthari" who is worshipped as Saint Varthari even today.
There is a jail and an underground isolation ward.
There is a perennial 'Royal Well' where queens and their maids used to take bath and the well was well connected with the Ganga. The stony steps are demolished at many places so noone can reach at the bottom of the well now.
There is a jail and an underground isolation ward.
There is a perennial 'Royal Well' where queens and their maids used to take bath and the well was well connected with the Ganga. The stony steps are demolished at many places so noone can reach at the bottom of the well now.
Written 15 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sachin Aggarwal
New Delhi, India40 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
I had visited Mirzapur for some official work recently in month of October 2015, so decided to roam around and visit some of the magnificent locations and places nearby.
Chunar Fort is our top list as suggested by locals,
We reached there around 11 AM, first view of the fort was awesome. It is built of hill top, River Ganga flows in feet of the hill and flow in a very vast area it feels like we are at shore of a sea.
Since the site is not must popularized by UP Tourism, there are few tourist only. And few spots to visit in the fort are Well where queen used to take bath, prisoner house (Karagrah), a distant view where death sentence was given.
All the other prominent areas of fort was acquired by Police and converted into their guest house and offices.
So overall the experience was very limited.
Chunar Fort is our top list as suggested by locals,
We reached there around 11 AM, first view of the fort was awesome. It is built of hill top, River Ganga flows in feet of the hill and flow in a very vast area it feels like we are at shore of a sea.
Since the site is not must popularized by UP Tourism, there are few tourist only. And few spots to visit in the fort are Well where queen used to take bath, prisoner house (Karagrah), a distant view where death sentence was given.
All the other prominent areas of fort was acquired by Police and converted into their guest house and offices.
So overall the experience was very limited.
Written 26 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir, Thanks for your visit and comments. There are many other attractions like Ascharya Koop(Wonder Well),Pottery Workshops etc nearby fort areas. We wish you visit again and give us opportunity to show you rich culture and heritage of Chunar Fort & Town. Regards, Sameer 9650024171
Written 29 October 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richa Kedia
New Delhi, India160 contributions
Oct 2015
This fort was first built in BC and then the ensuing rulers added/ modified portions of it. Only a small part of the fort is open to tourists- a guest house, mandap, well, temple and jail. The rest of the fort area is a police training academy and hence off limits for tourists. It is currently under refurbishment. The fort offers an incredible view of the Ganges as it swirls around the hill on which the temple has been constructed!! A place definitely worth visiting. It is barely an hour away from Varanasi!!
Written 5 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Traveler, Thanks for your visit and comments.Chunar has been part of Kashi and the place where Rishi Vishwkarma taught skills to Ram & his brothers. There are many other attractions like Ascharya Koop(Wonder Well),Durga Temple,Sidhnath Waterfalls,Pottery Workshops etc nearby fort areas. You can enjoy boating,cooking,local cuisines etc. We wish you visit again and give us opportunity to show you rich culture and heritage of Chunar Fort & Town. Regards, Sameer 9650024171
Written 30 October 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Airport exclusive: extra 20% off beauty
Sponsored by Armani Beauty, YLS & Lancôme
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing