Kandhar Fort

Kandhar Fort is a 10th-century Rashtrakuta water-and-land fortress located in Kandhar town, Nanded district, Maharashtra. Built by Emperor Krishna III on the banks of the Manyad River, it served as a key military and administrative center. The fort spans 24 acres and is distinguished by a 100-foot-wide perennial moat fed by the river and Jagat Tung Sagar lake. It features double fortification walls, 32 bastions, and structures added by successive dynasties including Bahmani, Mughal, and Nizam rulers.

Visitors can explore a 24-acre land fort surrounded by a wide water-filled moat connected to the Manyad River. The site contains ruins of palaces like Sheesh Mahal and Lal Mahal, the Ambari Cannon made of eight-metal alloy, ancient reservoirs such as Jatatunsagar, and inscriptions in Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Prakrit. Access is via a bridge across the moat, and the fort offers views of the surrounding Deccan landscape and Kandhar town. The adjacent 14th-century Dargah of Hazrat Haji Sayyah Sarwar is also accessible.

Founded in the 10th century CE by Rashtrakuta Emperor Krishna III as a strategic northern defense for the imperial capital Manyakheta. Initially built of earth by Krishna I in 758 CE and later completed in stone by Krishna III in 941 CE. Successively controlled by Western Chalukyas, Yadavas, Delhi Sultanate, Bahmani Sultanate, Nizam Shahis, Mughals under Aurangzeb, and Asaf Jahis of Hyderabad until the 1840s. Each dynasty contributed architectural additions, making it a composite monument of Deccan history.

The adjacent 14th-century Dargah of Hazrat Haji Sayyah Sarwar attracts pilgrims of multiple faiths during its annual Urs, symbolizing communal harmony. The fort's inscriptions in four languages reflect its multicultural administrative history. Known as Kandharpur in medieval times, it was one of the Rashtrakuta capitals and remains a significant heritage site in Marathwada.