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Nagar Sitting on the steps ot tulsi Ghat, looking across the river. you will see on the far bank the bartered walls of Ramnagar Fort. A medieval silhouette of stone battlements and arched wondows painted against the sky. Ramnagai Fort. 14 kms from Varanasi is a part of any guided tour of the city. This fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings ot Benaras Since the 18th century it has been the home of the Kashi Naresh. or the King of kashi. Varanarasi was an important province of the Mughal empire. By the 18th century. the empire was rapidly disintegrating and during the resign of Mohammed Shah in the first quarter of the 18th centurv. the son of an ambitious landowner, Balwant Singh. assumed the title ot the RaJa of Benaras He, however. ceded pre-eminence to the Nawab of Awadh, who in turn, paid nominal allegiance to the Mughal emperor in Delhi. The Maharajas had a tumultuous relationship with the Nawab of Awadh who ruled from Lucknow They offered up revenue and trops and in return reaped the benefits of peace. In fact, the influence of the nawabi culture of Awadh lives on today, and is especally seen in the Benaras school of dance and music Taking advantage ot the chaos born from disintegration of Mughal empire in the last quarter ot the l8th century the Raja of Benaras also .started striving for supremacy in their region a new centre of power arose with the advent of the Fast India Company and in 1775 Asafud Uauala, the Nawab of awadh was foreced to cede varansi to the british Then in 1910, Benaras was made a rull-fledged state with its capital at Ramnagar and when India became independent in 1947, Benaras joined the Indian Union Even tod.u thr Ksshi Naresh is deeply revered by the people of the city He is the who consider him a reincarnation of lord Shiva He is also the chief cultural pathron and an essental part of all religious celebrations. when the Dussehara Festivities are inaugurated with a colourful pageant gh rides an elephant at the head of the procession. then resplendent in silk and brocade, he inaugurates the month long folk theatre of ram leela at Ramnagar. the ram leela is a cycle of pays that ricounts the epic story of lord rama as told in ramcharitamanas the version of the ramayana penned by tulsi das. The plays, sponsored by the Maharaja.are performed in Ramnagar every evening for 31 davs. On the last day, the festival reach a crescendo as rama vanquishes the demon king Ravana. Maharaja udit Narayan Singh srted this tradituin of staging the ram leela at Ramnagar in mid-l9th century. Built bv Kaja balwant Sjngh with creamy chunar sandstone in the 18th century, ramnagar Fort is typically Mughal with courtyardsand picturesque pavilions. a large section of the fort is still the private domain of the visitors. wander around the corridors and see the excellent cavings on doors windows and pillars A rare colleition ot manuscripts espccially religious writings, is housed in Siraswati Bhawan. It includes a precious handwritten manuscript by Tulsi Das. Then- are also many books illustrated in the Mughal miniature style, with beautifully designed covers Then there is the Yasai Temple. According to a popular Puranic story. when Vyasa tailed to get alms in Varanasi he put a curse on thr city Soon alter, at a house where pravati and Shiva had taken human form as householders, Vyasa was so pleased with the alms he received that he forgot his curse. however because ot his bad temper Shiva banished vyasa from Varanasi Resolved to be near at hand, vyasa took his residence on the other side ot the Ganga where his temple may still be seen at Ramnagar The best way to reach Ramnagar is by boat. Alternatively, you can take a rickshaw that will take you across the bridge. You can ask the rickshawala to wait or take a boat back or even walk back over the pontoon bridge. **Ramnagar Fornt Open from 9 am to noun and from 2 pm to 5 pm. Chunar Chunar from the vantage point at the Northern extremely of Kaimur Hills , the impressive sandstone battlements of Chunar command a meander in the Ganga before the river curves North to Varanasi 22Km away .evidence of the earliest occupation of the site dates it to Vikramaditaya of Ujjain in 56 B.C. Chunar sandstone has been used for centuries , most famously in Ashokan Pillars - highly polished for sheen and Longevity and is still Quarried , leaving the surrounding hills Looking ravaged in places. The almost impregnable citadel , protected by Massive Mughal ramparts , looks down on to the River ,graced by a Beautiful Beach of Silver sand during the dry season; the views of the Sunset are Stunning. Akabar stormed the fortress in 1575 , and it was presided over by the Nawabs of Avadh until the British took it 1764 Chunar Fort Fort of Chunar, 39 kms, from Varanasi is interesting because it's had a succession of owners representing most of India's Rulers over the last 500 years. Sher Sah took over from Humayun in 1540 .Akbar recaptured it for the Mughals in 1575, and then in the mid 18th century it passed into the hands of Nawabs of Avadh and was finally claimed by the British.
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