Gondhla Fort

Gondhla Fort is a seven-storey Kath Kuni tower fort located in Gondhla village, Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, at an altitude of approximately 3,160 meters. Built around 1700 AD by Raja Man Singh of Kullu, it served as the residence of the Thakurs of Gondhla who ruled the Tinan valley. It is the only standing tower fort of its architectural style in Lahaul and Spiti. The structure is privately owned, largely unoccupied, and currently in a dilapidated state.

Visitors can expect to view a historic seven-storey wood and stone tower from the exterior, as interior access is informal, unreliable, and dependent on the presence of a private caretaker. The fort sits slightly below the Manali-Leh highway and requires a short walk down a rough village path. The site showcases traditional Kath Kuni architecture with alternating cedar beams and dry stone. There are no formal visitor facilities, ticketing, or guaranteed opening hours. Most visits consist of a 20 to 30-minute roadside halt for photography and external observation.

Constructed around 1700 AD by Raja Man Singh of Kullu (r. 1688–1719) following his marriage into the local Thakur family. The fort served as the administrative seat for the Thakurs of Gondhla, who acted as viceroys for the Kullu Rajas in the Tinan valley (Rangloi ilaqa) covering villages from Khoksar to Tandi. It lost formal political status after British administration appointed Keylong Thakurs as nominees in the 1860s.

Represents a rare example of lower Kullu Hindu Pahari Kath Kuni architecture within the predominantly Buddhist Tibetan-influenced architectural landscape of Lahaul. The structure symbolizes the historical political and cultural alliance between the Kullu Rajas and their Lahauli viceroys. The nearby Guru Ghantal monastery area is also associated with the discovery of the first-century BCE 'Kulu Vase', now in the British Museum.