Chunar Fort The Chunar Fort ( also known as Chandrakanta Chunargarh and Charanadri ) is located in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh , in India . Along with Chunar town , situated below the fort , the two are historic places with common history and legends . It is located south west of Varanasi . The southeastern part of the fort is on the rocky bank of the Ganges River . The fort ' s history spans from 56 BC and then between Afghan decedent Sher Shah Suri ' s ( 1532 ) rule , the Mughal Empire rule ( Humayun , Akbar and many others including Nawab of Awadh ) up to 1772 , and finally the British Raj up to 1947 till India gained independence . Chunar railway station is on the Mughalsarai - Kanpur section of Howrah - Delhi main line Geography . Chunar Fort is approached by road from Mirzapur over a distance of and along the Ganges River by river craft , a journey . Calcutta is away and is south west of Varanasi . The structure is located in the Mirzapur district , south west of Varanasi , and lies between Varanasi and Mirzapur . The town of the same name is part of the fort ' s administration . The fort stands on a rock , a detached part of the Vindhya Range , at an elevation of above sea level . It was built in a commanding position , high above a meander in the Ganges River , near the Kaimur Hills . The approach to Chunar hill is marked by a chain of low hills , running parallel to the river on its right bank , which is covered by plantations and bungalows . The fort located on a rock which rises abruptly from the plain , and encroaches into the river for some distance . The southeastern part of the fort is on the rocky bank by the Ganges River , which is navigable for 50 - 60 tons boats . The batteries in the fort command the river reach . The rocky bluff rising from the river on which the fort has been built raises to a height of . Another further away , the elevation of the rocky hillock is . The rocky face of the fort is impregnable due to its steep slope . Many crude cylinders were stored in the fort area to roll them down over any army of enemy soldiers attacking the fort . Most of the enclosed fort area consists of plains overgrown with grass and a few trees . Legends . There are many legends linking the fort to divine aspects . One such is the story of King Bali . God , known in these parts as " Bawan Bhagwan " , appeared before Bali , disguised as a Brahmin , and begged for three feet of land . The generous king agreed . God placed his first step on the hill of Chunar Fort and left his foot mark there . Since then it is known as “ Charanadri ” , which over the years became the short form as “ Chunar ” . The second legend is about a semi - mythical king called Vikramāditya of Ujjain . His brother Bharthari , who opted to live the life of a hermit , started living near the rockface of Chunar . Realising his brother ’ s situation , Vikramadiathya visited Chunar , and after finding out his brother ' s whereabouts through the hermit Goraknath , built a house for his brother to live in . The black stone where the saint Bhatinath lived and prayed is worshiped even now , as it is believed that Bhatinath is seated in the fort area in an invisible form . Another legend linked to the well known king of Rajasthan is that Prithviraj brought this settlement under his rule and also many neighbouring villages . Subsequent to his demise , his descendents sold the land to Khair - ud - din Subuktagin . An inscription ( not very legible ) in Sanskrit on the gateway of the fort mentions that the place had been taken over by Swami Raja , who had established a stone tablet recording the event . Later , the fort was acquired by Sahab - ud - din , who in turn appointed a " sanidi " , an African , and a Bahelia , and gave them titles as ‘ " hazari " ’ ( meaning " governors of the fort " ) , and also conferred a " jagir " . It is said that the Bahelia family were in possession of the land holdings till the fort was finally acceded to the British in 1772 . History . Settlements have been recorded here since 56 BC , from the time of Vikramāditya of Ujjain . Chunar ’ s earliest recorded history is from the sixteenth century , traced to a garrison of Babar , when in 1529 , many of his soldiers were killed ; some of their tombs in Chunar are still venerated . In 1532 , Sher Khan ( later known as Sher Shah Suri after he captured Bengal ) , a highly ambitious Pathan of Afghan descent but born in India , took control of the fort with high ambitions of becoming the King in Delhi . He acquired Chunar Fort by strategic marriages to enhance his reputation , first with a childless widow ( the wife of the deceased Governor of Chunar ) , and by marrying another widow , he acquired wealth . With these acquisitions , he became very powerful within four years and established a " state within a state " . It is also said that the fort was not vital for Sher Khan as he had moved his harem and treasure to Rohtas ( a newly won fort in the upper reaches of Son River ) during his campaign to win Bengal . When Emperor Humayun attacked the fort and held it in siege for four months , he had proposed to Sher Khan that he would not claim Chunar and Jaunpur and any other place of his choice , provided he gave up Bengal , which Sher Khan had won . Humayun also demanded from Suri the surrender of his treasure which he had taken to Bengal and a precious ( chattar ) umbrella and throne , and also to agree to be under the protection of the Mughal Empire . He finally succumbed to pressure and signed a deal with Humayun . However , Sher Khan recaptured it when he Humayun marched towards Bengal . The fort was under his control till his death in 1575 , where after it came under the control of the Mughals . Akbar , the Mughal Emperor had visited Chunar for shikar ( hunting ) in 1575 and captured the fort . He acquired it as he considered the fort strategically located to guard the Ganges and the major land routes to eastern India . Abul al Fazl described this victory over the fort by Akbar an important event . It is believed that much of the fort as seen now was built during Akbar ' s reign . During his rule , the west gate was built in the fort entrance , with the date 1586 having been engraved on the stone archway . During the Mughal rule , Emperor Jahangir had nominated Iftikhar Khan as the fort ' s nazim . During the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb , his appointee for Governor of the fort , Mirza Bairam Khan , constructed a mosque here in 1663 , near the Bharion Burj . In 1760 , following invasion by Ahmad Shah Durrani , the fort was captured by the troops of the Nawab . The British East India Company , under Major Munro , attacked the fort ; though initially they lost ground , they subsequently breached the south west part of the fort and annexed it . The fort with all its territory was formally ceded under a treaty to the East India Company in 1768 . For quite some years , the fort was the main artillery and ammunition depot of the Northwestern Provinces . Maharaja Chet Singh had taken possession of the fort temporarily but was evicted . In 1781 , he raised a rebellion in Varanasi and near the villages around the fort when Warren Hastings , the first Governor - General of India ( 1773 to 1784 ) took shelter in the Chunar Fort . A small armed force was collected under Major Home Riggs Popham and Chet Singh was eventually evicted from his control of neighboring areas . In 1791 , Chunar Fort became the headquarters of an invalid battalion of European and Indian troops serving in India ; those officers and men who were considered medically unsuitable for field duty were shifted to this fort and given light duty . From 1815 , the fort also housed the state prisoners . In India ' s first Freedom struggle , also known as Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 - 58 , the fort was the safe ground of the artillery and infantry company of the European invalid Battalion and all also to the officers and European residents of the district . The Bhartri Nath ' s shrine here was also used for some time as the civil treasury . After 1890 , troops were withdrawn from the fort . The building ' s complex within the fort became the property of the civil administration who used this place as a convalescent jail . Subsequently , it became a religious centre . Chunar Fort was on the hit list of the Naxalite s as it was the recruitment training center of the PAC , and has a large amount arms and ammunition stored in its armoury . Hence , the state government has directed the police to give particular care to protect the fort and the facilities within it . Walls and gates . The impregnable citadel is built with huge rampart s overlooking the river and built in tiers . They were built of local sandstone quarried in the area . Chunar ’ s quarries , notable since the Maurya period , were used in building the fort , and skilled masons were available locally . The external walls of the fort were not strong and hence it was breached when British forces attacked the fort with a battering train . The area bounded by the fort covers a length of in the north - south direction with a maximum width of on the northern face , close to the river bank . The peripheral length of the fort is . The ramparts of the fort have towers built at regular intervals with heights varying from . Of all the gates , the fort ’ s west gate only has inscriptions which ascribes to its construction during Akabar ’ s period by Muhammad Sharif Khan who is presumed to the son of an artist . He is said to have served under Munim Khan who was granted the fort and the surrounding lands since it yielded a lot of revenue , in 1567 . Munim Khan died here in 1575 . The west gate has the least ornamentation but has calligraphy engraved slabs . Other gates of the fort have carved panels and brackets . Buildings . The Citadel which is the main structure of the fort , in its northeastern part , was mounted with many cannon s and also had a gunpowder magazine . The “ S ” shaped brackets on the oriel window s have similarity with the windows in the Agra Fort than other pre - Moghul monuments in eastern India . But some designs such as the knot motif is attributed to the Sur period architecture as seen in Chainpur and Shergarh , both of the Sur period , which attests to the fact that local artisans have contributed to continuation of the regional traditions in architecture . A number of bungalows ( mansions ) are located between the trees , which used as offices and residences of officers during British rule . The Governor ’ s house , a hospital and the state prison are also located here . At the highest point of the rocky bluff within the fort , there is an old Hindu palace , a very large vaulted structure . A well within this area is in diameter and sunk deep ; its water is commonly not potable . There is an underground dungeon , which is used as a store room now . A pavilion , dating to 1538 , was used as the gatehouse . The Sonwa Mandap open pavilion has 28 pillars and is built in the Hindu style of architecture . An engraving on its mehrab is believed to be filled with gold . Bhartri Nath ' s samadhi is located at the back of this monument where religious ceremonies are conducted . Sonwa Mandap has four gates and a tunnel at the front yard of the building . It is mentioned that in 1333 AD , princess Sonwa , daughter of Sandeva , a Nepal i king , came here frequently to take bath in the Ganga River through this tunnel . The access is from the fort . A " bawdi " measuring diameter and of nearly depth contains perennial water , its source connection to the Ganga River . It is also mentioned that princess Sonwa used this well for her ablutions . There is also a square stone slab with shade provided by a peepal tree , where according to the local legend , God is seated for 9 hours during the day and the rest of 3 hours of the day shifts to Varanasi , and further mentions that during the absence of God , the fort can be captured only between 6 AM to 9 AM . In popular culture . Shooting of Anurag Kashyap ' s 2012 film , " Gangs of Wasseypur " , took place in Chunar .