Ballarpur Fort

Ballarpur Fort, once called Ballarshah Fort, stands in Ballarpur town on the east bank of the Wardha River in Chandrapur district. Its founder was Khandkya Ballal Sah, the Gond king who reigned from 1437 to 1462 and also founded Chandrapur. Legend says he found a pond whose water cured his boils and tumours, named Akaleshwar tirth, and the town that grew around the fort took his name as the city of Ballal. Ballarpur served as the seat of the kingdom for many years before Chandrapur was established, and the last Gond king, Nilkantha Sah, died a prisoner here.

The rectangular fort is built of large black stones, with the main entrance facing east and walls and towers along the river. Two gateways stand at right angles to each other, and a small entrance opens at the river's edge. The walls are still intact, but the old buildings inside are in ruins, and tunnels in the walls remain unexplored.