Kurumbera Fort

4.3

Location: 37Q4+42H, Gaganeswar, West Bengal 721133, India.

Estimated Visiting Time: 1 to 2 hours.

‘Kurumbera Fort’ is a mediaeval fort nested in Gagan Eshwar village, southeast of Kashkari, at about four kilometres from the town area. This mediaeval fort has small quarters along with temples. Now, it is a protected and preserved monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
Although Kurumbera is called a fort by the locals, it lacks all the basic features of a fort. For example, it lacks a safe storage space for weapons or gunpowder. There are no typical protective features such as a fortified and graceful main entrance, bastions, moats, layered walls, high watchtowers, or secret exits. Without all these, we cannot address it as a real fort. However, this place has not turned into a park-like area. There is a religious place, too. Devotees and visitors come to this place often.

Attraction

The structure of Kurumbera Fort appears humble, gentle and totally suited for public gatherings. It resembles a mosque, where the altar is placed at the western end so that the entire crowd may face in the same direction. Despite all these, there is no written evidence or even legend concerning such practices. You can come to this place and enjoy the medieval establishment. It’s quite an ancient building complex. The exact purpose of that is not quite surely known, which makes it even more interesting. Some say that it served as some temple with a ‘sacrificial altar,’ or some ruler’s courtroom, etc. All these are based on assumptions. It is difficult to say anything about the exact nature of this complex. However, all this adds to the mystic of the place. We recommend you visit this mysterious place at least once if you live nearby.

History

This place was built in 1438–1469 (written in Odia inscription) during the rule of ‘Suryavamsha’ king of Odisha Gajapati Kapilendra Deva. However, it also has structures built during Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s’ period by Mohammed Tahir (stone inscription). Despite the fact that it is a protected monument under the ASI, there is no reliable data available about this fort. The Afghan Sultanate of Bengal and Bihar invaded Odisha (which included the undivided Midnapore district of West Bengal) in 1568. Later, the Mughals occupied Odisha after defeating the Afghans of Bengal in the ‘Battle of Tukaroi’ in 1575. They divided Odisha Subah into five Sarkars. So, without proper evidence, it is hard to discuss the original history of Kurumbera Fort.

Inside/Outside Views

The structure of Kurumbera Fort resembles the mediaeval architecture of Odisha and the nearby area while also incorporating a few elements of later Mughal architecture. The fort contains a ‘three-domed structure’ over a platform, along with a sacrificial altar. Please remember that most parts of this fort, as well as its structures, are in ruins. The ASI authority has made considerable effort to protect the structures from collapsing by using cement and lime mortar to shore up, especially the external pillars. The pillars support a roof (which is shaped like a flower). Circular pillars were used to the rear of the left-dome. This fort’s architecture also shares great similarity with Raibania Fort in the Balasore district of Odisha. There is a huge courtyard ringed by a pillared corridor, and there are three spherical domes. An inscription about its usage is probably located directly behind the domed structure. There is also some kind of an altar in the middle of the fort. This monument resembles the architecture of ancient Odisha. If you are visiting Kharagpur, we recommend you visit this mediaeval mysterious place as well.

Opening Hours

Monday 9 AM–5 PM

Tuesday 9 AM–5 PM

Wednesday 9 AM–5 PM

Thursday 9 AM–5 PM

Friday 9 AM–5 PM

Saturday 9 AM–5 PM

Sunday 9 AM–5 PM

Entry & Others Fees

The entry fee is 90 Rs per adult.

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

How to Reach

By road: It is situated in Kharagpur’s ‘Gagan Eswar’ area. From the busy area of Kharagpur, the Kurumbera Fort is almost 25 to 30 km away. Kharagpur is well connected with other major cities like Siliguri, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Mumbai etc. of the country. And from Kharagpur city, you will get local transport to reach the site.

Kurumbera Fort is situated in a village named Gaganeshwar, which is not serviced by any buses. To reach Gaganeshwar, you have to take the State Highway to Keshiary. At about 27 km from Kharagpur, turn left towards ‘Belda’ and reach a village junction called ‘Kukai,’ which is about 2 km from ‘Keshiari.’ Turn to the right and go into a concrete or pucca road. However, Gaganeshwar village lies about 2 km from Kukai.

By air: The closest airport, ‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport‘ (which is an international one), is almost 177 kilometers away from this area and is in Dum Dum, Kolkata. You can visit this place from outside of India. Apart from that, there are airports in Delhi, Mumbai, or Lucknow with direct flights to Kolkata. From the airport, you can easily get local transport to reach the site.

By train: The closest railway station from the Kurumbera Fort is about 47 km away at the ‘Kharagpur Railway Station.’ This station is well connected with major areas of the country. From the station, you will get local transport so that you can reach the site.

Tips for Travellers

Please wear suitable and comfortable clothes according to both culture and seasons.

Don’t forget to follow the code of conduct.
If you are visiting Kharagpur for the first time, try to visit in a group for safety purposes.
Please stay away from total strangers.