High inside the fort complex stands the Trinetra Ganesh Temple, one of India’s most famous Ganesha shrines. The main idol shows Ganesha with three eyes (Trinetra), and the temple is always filled with the sound of bells, drums and the chanting of “Ganpati Bappa Morya.” Devotees bring letters and wedding invitations by post or in person seeking blessings, so the temple walls and office overflow with envelopes. The path to the temple passes through fort gates, troops of monkeys and views down into the national park, making the pilgrimage both spiritual and scenic.
About this place
History & highlights
The temple’s origin is linked to the 1299–1301 war between King Hammir of Ranthambore and Alauddin Khalji. According to tradition, during the long siege Hammir’s stores were running out, and one night he dreamt of Lord Ganesha asking for a shrine. The next morning a three-eyed image of Ganesha is said to have appeared on the fort wall; Hammir built a temple there, after which supplies miraculously improved. Whatever the literal truth, inscriptions and local memory place the temple’s establishment around this period. Today it is considered the oldest Ganesha temple in Rajasthan by many devotees, and lakhs of pilgrims visit, especially during Ganesh Chaturthi and Wednesdays, turning the fort into a living religious centre, not just an archaeological ruin.
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