Bhimgarh Fort

Bhimgarh Fort, usually called Reasi Fort, sits on a hillock about 150 m high near Reasi, roughly 64 km north-west of Jammu. Raja Bhimdev first built it of clay, said to be in the 8th century, and a descendant of Raja Rishipal Rana later rebuilt it in stone; the royal family used it as a refuge in emergencies. Gulab Singh renovated it between 1817 and 1841, and General Zorawar Singh added a new gate and a surrounding stone wall.

The carved main gate is of Baluka stone, and the front wall has loopholes and figures of Mahakali and Hanuman. Inside are a temple, a pond, rooms of various sizes, an armoury and a treasury, used by later Maharajas until the treasury moved to Jammu under Hari Singh. Handed to the state archaeology department in 1989, it was renovated in 1990 with gardens and paths and opened to the public, though earthquakes and neglect have taken a toll.