Hari Parbat Fort

Srinagar


On the strategically and spiritually significant Koh-e-Maran hill, north of the city centre, is this powerful qila (fort), which dates to the 6th century. The hill was further fortified by Emperor Akbar in 1590, but most of the upper walls date from the 1808 constructions of Pathan governor Atta Mohammad Khan.

Inside the fort walls is the Sri Sharika Temple, home to the city's 18-armed guardian goddess. Local Hindus believe Sharika (a form of Durga) and Vishnu liberated Kashmir by defeating the lake demon, Jalodabhava, on this hill.

Approach the fort from the northeast, not from the south side. The fort access lane starts with a checkpoint; then a sweaty 10-minute walk along fairly obvious shortcuts brings you to a second sign-in, 15 minutes' walk up steps to the fort's uppermost tower. Autorickshaws can reach the second checkpost.

You can normally just buy a ticket at the road entrance, but in times of tension you may have to first apply for a stamped permissory note from the TRC or Naagar-Nagar Interpretation Centre (passport copy required).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Srinagar attractions

1. Makhdoom Sahib Shrine

0.16 MILES

On the southern flank of Hari Parbat, the large and ornately carved Makhdoom Sahib Shrine is dedicated to the Qadri-order Sufi saint who helped the spread…

2. Mosque of Akhund Mullah Shah

0.16 MILES

Built in 1649 by Shah Jahan's son Dara Shikoh for his spiritual mentor, the mosque of Akhund Mullah Shah is only a chunky stone shell set amid plane trees…

3. Kathi Darwaza

0.32 MILES

This stone gateway, directly north of the white-domed Chetipacha Gurdwara, is part of one of the last remnant sections of Srinagar's late 16th-century…

4. Badamvaer Gardens

0.38 MILES

Created in the 16th century, then planted with almond (badam) trees in 1876, this quiet orchard garden fell apart during Kashmir's 1990s troubles but has…

5. Naagar-Nagar Interpretation Centre

0.43 MILES

Beside the Makhdoom Ropeway, this empty hall has a few boards explaining the Mughal history of the Hari Parbat ('Naagar-Nagar') walled city.

6. Jama Masjid

0.64 MILES

Looking like the movie set for an imagined Central Asian castle, this mighty 1672 mosque (built on an earlier 1394 construction) forms a quadrangle around…

7. Naqshband Sahib

0.73 MILES

This beautifully proportioned if uncoloured 17th-century shrine was built in Himachal Pradesh style, with alternating layers of wood and brick to…

8. Rozabal

0.81 MILES

At the north end of the triangular patch of grass near the Sufi shrine of Pir Dastgir Sahib is a small, green shrine known as Rozabal. A highly…