RAJA BHOJ’S NAVRATNA GARH FORT IS ON THE VERGE OF DEMOTION

RAJA BHOJ’S NAVRATNA GARH FORT IS ON THE VERGE OF DEMOTION

12-FEB-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR---------------------------Plans to develop the historic Navaratna Garh Fort, located in Naya Bhojpur village of Dumraon block, as a tourist destination have yet to receive approval. Due to government neglect and lack of protection, this valuable historical heritage is on the verge of demolition. Once a symbol of valor, culture, and pride, the fort is now crumbling into ruins.

In 2022, a committee from the Bihar Heritage Development Committee visited the fort and promised its preservation and development, but three years later, no concrete action has been taken. The fort remains neglected. Tourists and history buffs come from far and wide hoping to see it, but are disappointed by its dilapidated condition.

According to historians, Raja Bhoj's descendants migrated eastward after the Delhi Sultans conquered Malwa. Raja Bhoj's son founded the town of Bhojpur near Dumraon. Raja Rudra Pratap Singh of the Parmar dynasty built the Navratna Garh Fort in 1663. Later, Mughal rulers attacked the fort, causing significant damage and culminating in the execution of Raja Rudra Pratap Singh. Despite this, the fort remained a witness to Raja Bhoj's glorious history for a long time.

Navratna Garh Fort, located approximately three kilometers from Dumraon, is considered one of Bihar's major heritage sites. In 2013, the district administration sent a proposal of ₹4.5 million to the Tourism Department for its conservation and tourism development, but that proposal also remained buried in files. Later, in 2022, the Bihar Heritage Committee of the Legislative Assembly, led by Chairman Bhai Birendra, inspected the site and assured conservation, raising hopes among the local people, but this too failed to materialize.

Former CPI(ML) MLA Dr. Ajit Kumar Singh strongly raised this issue in the Assembly, but despite this, no concrete steps were taken. Meanwhile, Dumraon's JDU MLA Rahul Singh has stated that every effort will be made to preserve Raja Bhoj's Navratna Garh Fort and develop it as a tourist destination, and that this issue will again be raised prominently in the Assembly.

Local residents say that Navratna Garh Fort is extremely important not only historically but also culturally. If the government does not take concrete steps towards its conservation in time, this invaluable heritage will be confined to the pages of history. People demand that the government take immediate action to save this historical heritage and preserve it for future generations.