August

Gobindgarh Fort is one of the most striking and historic edifice of the city of Amritsar. Its height and heavy bastions, placed one over the other, give it an imposing appearance. It is suggested that Ranjit Singh built this fort to protect his treasure, and used it for his residence in Amritsar before the Rambagh Palace was constructed.

Gobindgarh was built of brick and mud and lime mortars with strong iron-gates. A formidable moat, three lines of defense, twenty five pieces of cannon, and its bastions constituted the massive strength of Gobindgarh. Around 1850, the British government demolished most of the fortifications in the region, including the two outermost walls and bastions of the Gobindgarh Fort.

In a recent initiative, in lieu of giving the cultural legacy back to the city and making it public in use, the fort has been handed over to the Government of Punjab by the Indian Army. The central building is a circular structure, the upper layers of which may have been demolished after the British occupation. A single storied building was built over the circular plinth.

As the first phase of the project, this plinth and the building above are being conserved. The works include removal of accretions and vegetation, stitching of cracks, masonry in compatible materials replacing out of plumb masonry, re-roofing in appropriate construction materials and techniques. In June 2009, CRCI was engaged by Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, Government of Punjab, to prepare a comprehensive conservation and revitalization plan for the entire site.

Contractors: M/S Sanrakshan Heritage Consultants.

Title of Project Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar, District Amritsar Owner Government of Punjab Funding Agency Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, through Department of Tourism, Government of Punjab Caretakers Government of Punjab Year of Commencement 2008 Year of Completion 2010