Neglected Tourism 12: Samba Fort

Samba Fort

So friends under the series of Neglected Tourism its the last one in Samba Distt JKUT & also the most important one..

It's in the heart of Samba & also the 

pride of #Sambaites as well as #Dogras

This is our Samba_Fort

#Pride_n_Identity of Samba.Its

towering on a hillock. 

It's grandeur & magnificence is still overpowering irrespective of the negligence shown by the respective Govts. Once the #Identity of Samba it is in #Shambles..Built in #14th_Century it was handed over to Maharaja Gulab Singh by Maharaja Ranjit Singh who in turn handed it over to his brother #Suchet_Singh in 1822...In its time it housed #Revenue_Deptt #Tehsil_office & oldest of the #High_School_1905 next to Ranbir High School which have aluminies of great calibre.. 

*General Dharam Singh Sambyal Mandi Kheri

*General Baj Singh of Badori

*General Khajoor Singh Sambyal Mandi Garh(whose untiring efforts upgraded the Middle school here to High School in 1905>

*Late Com.RP Saraf 

*Th.Baldev Singh Politician

*Dhrub Singh Sambyal IGP Retd Wazir Wazarat in Sheikh Abdullahs Cabinet 

*Mulkh Raj Saraf renowned Journalist

*Brigadier Rajinder Singh Sparrow

*Brigadier Onkar Singh

*Brigadier Faqir Singh

*GR Thapa DIG Retired

*KL Sehgal world renowned singer

*Allaha Rakha Tabla master of world repute

*Kehri Singh Madhukar renowned Dogri poet & even unconfirmed sources says *Gulzari Lal Nanda former PM & many more colonels were the product of the school housed here.. Even if we look from this angle.. Even their souls r crying over the condition of the fort(their school)  

 Although the outer part ofthe fort is renovated & looks very beautiful on the Tourism Guide of JKUT but inner looks make u sad & disappointed & wears a deserted looks.

Walls & roofs are crumbling & it's turrets/gazebo(यंहा से बाहर देखा जा सकता है ) are in a very bad shape.. Although some renovation work is done on its #Great_Bath(pool/pond)..it is still in bad shape on its staircase & there is moss & weeds on it & it's walls.

 All rooms are at the verge of falling & there is dampness & filth all around.. The windows & doors extracted when the renovation work was on are taken by people as art piece r used by unscrupulous elements for burning  purposes...so everything is in messy condition & no solution is to be seen.

Besides the repeated attempts of the people of Samba for its #Renovation_in_planned_manner. Nothing concrete has been done so far. Although a paved path has been constructed along its outer side but too much will be done here so that it couldn't be vanished in the #Black_Hole_of_Time.

When u stand on it's outer side towards River Basanter  u r welcomed by the gusty winds & whole panorama of Samba town River Basanter Shivalik Hills mesmerizes u. U at once feel energetic & nostalgia also embraced u. 

So friends it was last one of the series of neglected tourism I hope u all liked it. In the last it's my appeal to the concerned authorities to do something for this fort which is #Identity_n_Pride of Samba & the all other places which iv mentioned in #Neglected_Tourism series. 

Hope I'll come with more interesting information once again

With regards 

Rahul Sambyal 

Chairman Youth For Society

Social Organization  

Note

 Help is taken from the #Memorandum _of_Distt_Samba presented to then Chief Minister by my father Sukhdev Singh Sambyal Advocate on behalf of Distt. Action Committee (1984)