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The fort has 4 sections; each with the premises and one has to climb
up through the imposing stairway or else the broad aisle, where one
can ride on the elephant back for royal feel. The main gate Surajpol
that leads to the Jaleb chowk, which is the main courtyard from
where one can walk up the stairway, that leads to the palace. Jaleb
Chowk was also the area where returning armies were welcome and they
would display their war earnings to the population at large.
Before you enter the palace just towards the right is a sleep aisle
and a narrow staircase reaching up to Kali Temple also called Shila
Devi Temple famous for its mysterious history and the huge silver
lions. It is a gorgeous temple featuring silver doors with raised
relief. According to a legend, Maharaja Man Singh I had worshiped
the Goddess for a victory over the rulers of Bengal. The Goddess
appeared in the Maharaja's dream and ordered him to recover her
statue lying under sea near Jessore (now in Bangladesh) and install
it in a befitting Temple. True enough, after subjugating the enemies
the Maharaja recovered the statute from the bed of the sea. The
temple is called after Shila Devi, "shila" meaning stone slab. Like
all temples this too has an image of Ganesha on the doorway, but
carved from a single piece of coral. More...
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