Uparkot Fort

Uparkot Fort was established by the mauryan dynasty, but it lost its value when the capital of kathiawar moved from Junagadh to Valbhi (the modern village of vallabhi dynasty). Chudasama settled around junagadh from 875, it was their ruler Ra graharipu (c.940-c.982), who hacked the citadel free from the jungle. From the evidence contained in the Devyashray at Junagadh we may safely conclude that Ra Graharipu laid the foundations of the citadel as it now exists.

After several Ra Chudasama of Wamansthali had ruled, a woodcutter one day managed to cut his way through the forest and came to a place where stone walls and a gate existed. Nearby sat a holy man in contemplation, and on being asked by the woodcutter the name of the place and its history, he replied that its name was " Juna " — old. The woodcutter returned by the way he had come to Wamansthali, and reported his discovery to the Ra, who ordered the forest to be cleared away. This being done, the fort came into sight. But there was none who knew its history, or who could tell more than the holy man had told the woodcutter. So the place became known as " Junagadh " for want of a better title. If this story is to be believed, either Ra Graharipu rediscovered an ancient stronghold or else after he had built the fort it was abandoned and afterwards found again by a later ruler Ra Navghan - 2 (c. 1067 – c. 1098) who transferred Chudasama Capital from Wamansthali to Junagadh. The Present walls were built by Chudasama rajputs.^[1]

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