Centre has declared the fort as a heritage of national importance
Tougher days are yet to be over for Shahpur Fort of Palamau even after the Centre approving it as a monument of national importance. The strategic fort built by one of the greatest Chero rulers of Palamau Medini Ray on the banks of river Koel is under illegal occupation and encroachment by the villagers and miscreants.
Information suggests that about four acres of land belonging to the Shahpur Fort has been encroached upon first for organising a 'yagna' and now have become a hangout of the goons and drunkards. "Mostly Oraons and others residing in the vicinity of the Quila have taken over it. They are even erecting boundary wall around it. One can see large number of miscreants hanging out there in the evening," said Depinder Pathak, a resident of Chainpur, situated nearby.
A couple of days back, the Government of India identified the list of monuments or sites for declaring them as monuments of national importance which includes the fort along with Temples Haradib Ranchi, Navratanagarh Fort and Temple Complex Gumla, Tiliagarh Fort Sahebganj and Fort and Jain rock cut sculptures Koluha hill Chatra from Jharkhand. The ASI, Ranchi circle had sent a proposal to Delhi a few years ago for getting the approval.
Though the illegal occupation can prove a hurdle for the district administration when the actual work would begin on the site which has its linkage since the time of Chero king Raja Medini Ray. The purpose of the fort was to station troops along the river Koel. It is said that a tunnel ran from the fort to the Palamau Fort near Betla Tiger Project.
During the Mughal invasion it was captured and who used the fort used as a court. However, it lost it glory completely since the time of Britishers and continued in the state until brought to the attention of the Government recently.
The district administration is, on the other hand, still waiting for the formal letter in this regard to intervene. "It is a good news for Palamau. I came to know about this from the news reports only. No formal information has come to me as of now. After it comes with some kind of plan then only we would supplement and complement with our comments and sent it to the State. Our efforts would be first to stop the fort from destruction and restore its past glory," said Palamau Deputy Commissioner KN Jha. The administration, moreover, is not aware of any such encroachment and assured that if there is anything like that it would be removed according to the law.
The fort holds great importance in the annals of history as the territory of Medini Ray, who ruled for 13 years from 1662 to 1674, which extended up to South Gaya and large parts of Hazaribagh and Sarguja were under it. His tenure is remembered as the golden period of the area.
