Gobindgarh Fort

Gobindgarh Fort is a historic military fort located in center of the city of Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. It was built as the "Gujar Singh Fort" in the 1760s and 1770s by the Bhangi Misl rulers. It was built as a mud fort and renamed in 1805 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured it along with five big canons, including Zamzama famously known as Bhangian di Top and later as Kim’s Gun. Ranjit Singh strengthened the fort and renamed it "Gobind Garh" after the name of Guru Gobind Singh tenth Guru of Sikhs. Sardar Shamir Singh was the first governor of the fort. His successor was faqir Fakir Azizuddin., under whose guidance the Fort was upgraded. After the rule of Ranjit Singh control of the fort passed to the British empire, who created the Criminal Investigation Department office here. After the independence of India on 15 August 1947, the Indian army made a base in the fort.

Gobind Garh Fort is constructed of bricks and lime andis laid out in a square. Each of its corners has a parapet and two doors. It has 25 canons mounted on its ramparts. The main entrance, Nalwa Gate, is named after Hari Singh Nalwa. Killer Gate is the back entrance. It is said that there is an underground tunnel that goes towards Lahore. The fort housed a treasury, armory and other various things of importance to the Maharaja. This fort kept the Sarkar khalsa's Sikh period in Lahore treasury. There used to be 3000 bags of provisions (food) and 12000 soldiers would guard it.