Ramnagar
Fort is the former as well as the present residence of the Maharaja of
Kashi also known at times as Raja of Banaras. It is situated on the
opposite bank of the Ganges along which the city of Varanasi thrives.
The most important construction inside the fort is the famous 'Durbar
Hall' or the Hall of public audience. The architecture is a subtle blend
of Indian as well as Islamic styles of architecture. The use of marbles
for the decorative patterns makes it splendid. The Fort is very well maintained keeping in mind that the date of the construction of fort goes back to the 17th century. This is probably because the royal scion of Kashi still resides in the palace. Nevertheless, that part of the palace is out of bound for the casual tourists. What is not bound is the famous Ramnagar Fort Museum. This museum treasures some of the best and most splendid items that once belonged to the royalty. Among others, it houses collections of palanquins, elephant saddles carved out of silver, armory, furniture, costumes, etc.
The fort is renowned all over India for its splendid and extravagant celebration of annual Dussehra. This festival is marked by Ramlila that is very different from its poor cousins that are popular in Delhi and Moradabad. In this case, the whole city turns into a stage where different acts of Ramayana are staged. The festival also includes a 'Jhanki Yatra' that include various antique displays of Royals such as vintage cars, royal palanquins and ivory items.
