The fort that stands tall along a tranquil Sagar

A fort on the banks of a lake. An ancient temple close by. A ruined shrine close to the lake. A place which witnessed Rani Lakshmibai and Tantia Tope passing through.

Welcome to Barwa Sagar, a place that is little more than a village but has had its moments in history. The kind of place that folks tend to whiz by, barely noticing its existence. Lying close to

Orchha

, it falls on the road that leads from Jhansi to Khajuraho. Amid this string of better known places, the heritage of Barwa Sagar tends to get a little lost. Not unusual, given that whenever it comes to

Bundelkhand

’s heritage, being lost or forgotten is par for the course.

The fort at Barwa Sagar towers over the village. As Indian forts go, it is a strikingly unusual structure, a shade European in design, one that would perhaps have looked more at home on the banks of the

Rhine

than close to the Betwa. The man credited with building the fort, which dates to 1705, is Udot Singh, the ruler of Orchha. No prizes for getting why he chose this location. While Orchha is close to Barwa Sagar, it is a temple town with no pretensions of being able to defend itself. The fort at Barwa Sagar on the other hand, stands on a high hill which would have enabled sentries to have a clear view of the countryside around, alerting the garrison to any advancing force.

What the fort lacks in width, it makes up for in height. Adding to the height provided by its hill is a tower which rises from the centre of the fort’s buildings. The structure is closed today but one can imagine the view it would give. It is this tower-like structure with its surrounding buildings that gives the fort a castle-like appearance. Entrance into the fort is through what can best be described as an indent in the solid stone wall. One entering via the indent, a visitor needs to take a right turn. In an earlier era, this turn would have made life difficult for any attacking force, preventing the use of a battering ram and enabling the defenders to inflict casualties from above.

Large parts of the fort are covered by vegetation. The sound of birds becomes louder as one goes to the back of the fort, the winged creatures being drawn by the waterbody behind. The central complex of the fort is bare and a trifle disappointing. There a few idols around, stragglers from an era when the fort was more important. And important it certainly was, as shown through its history. In 1744, a brother of Gwalior’s Scindia ruler was killed here during a battle with the troops from Orchha.

Around this time, 161 years ago, as the events of 1857 were unfolding, the region around Barwa Sagar was rife with warfare and intrigue. Nearby Jhansi was in tumult with mutinous soldiers entering the town. The 1857-58 period saw it being captured from the Orchha troops by Moropant Tambe, father of the legendary Rani Lakshmibai. Tantia Tope later camped in the fort and was later defeated by a British army led by Hugh Rose. Thereafter, the fort became a British outpost and at times a resting place for touring officials and surveyors.

The water reservoir behind the fort—the ‘Sagar’ in Barwahas its own history. Originally a Chandela irrigation dam, it still serves that purpose and is also used for swimming and fishing by the villagers. Today, its utility value is underlined by the fact that this reservoir could play a role if the much-discussed interlinking of the Ken and Betwa rivers comes about. Away from the fort, on the edge of the lake, is a ruined temple. Called the Ghugua Ka Math as per ASI records, this is an early Chandela period temple. It has a curious structure comprising four small cells. A description dating to the 1890s mentions the embellishment which the structure had, now almost entirely faded. The place is now home to snakes, and visitors need to tread warily.

Along the road to Jhansi from Barwa Sagar is the Jarai Ka Math. A magnificently sculpted temple of the 9th century, it lies in an enclosed compound. Its ornate gateway and rising shikhar indicate past glory. With visitors flocking to the temples at nearby Orchha, the silence at this temple of greater antiquity offers a sharp contrast. But then, Barwa Sagar’s silence and tranquility are what you carry with you long after the place is left behind.