Uparkot Fort, Junagadh: caves, stepwells and history

Uparkot Fort stands on a plateau above Junagadh city, in Junagadh district of Gujarat, at the foot of Girnar hill. One of western India’s oldest surviving citadels, it holds rock-cut Buddhist caves, the Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo stepwells, a converted Jama Masjid and two large medieval cannons, and was reopened after a long state-led restoration. This guide covers the fort’s layered history, what to see inside, how to reach it, and when to go.

Uparkot Fort is an ancient hill fort on the eastern edge of Junagadh, in Junagadh district, Gujarat, controlled by the Government of Gujarat. Traditionally traced to the Mauryas and later rebuilt by the Chudasama rulers, it guards the approach to Girnar and is known for its caves, stepwells and twin cannons.

About Uparkot Fort

Uparkot Fort is a ruined hill fort on a raised plateau at the eastern edge of Junagadh city, in Junagadh district, Gujarat, at coordinates 21°31′25″N 70°28′10″E, per Wikipedia’s sourced article. The name Junagadh means “old fort”, and the citadel gives the city both its name and its oldest stretch of continuous history. It is open to the public and controlled by the Government of Gujarat.

What makes Uparkot unusual is not one monument but the span it covers. Inside a single walled plateau you move from Buddhist meditation caves cut around the early centuries CE, to medieval Hindu stepwells, to a mosque made from an older palace, to 16th-century cannons. According to accounts cited by Wikipedia, the walls rise 60 to 70 feet, and the entrance passes through three gateways set one inside the other, the innermost a carved torana. For the wider region, see our Gujarat travel guide.

A long, layered history: Maurya to the Sultanate

Uparkot Fort’s recorded story runs from the Maurya era to the Gujarat Sultanate, with its present citadel usually credited to the Chudasama dynasty. According to Wikipedia’s sourced account, a fort and town were established at the foothills of Girnar during Maurya rule; the fort continued through the Gupta period, then lost importance under the Maitrakas when Saurashtra’s capital shifted from Junagadh to Vallabhi.

The fort’s revival is tied to the Chudasamas, a Saurashtra dynasty that bardic tradition places around Junagadh from about 875 CE. Wikipedia notes that the ruler Graharipu (around 940 to 982 CE) cleared the old citadel of jungle, and that Hemchandra’s Dvyashraya is read as crediting him with laying the foundations of the fort as it now stands. A parallel legend credits a later Chudasama king, Navaghana, with rediscovering the overgrown fort and moving his capital here; treat the discovery stories as tradition rather than fixed history.

Later centuries left their own marks. An inscription on the rampart above the gate records the Chudasama ruler Mandalika III and is dated 1450, per Wikipedia. Soon after, the Gujarat Sultanate under Mahmud Begada took Junagadh, and the fort passed into Muslim rule, which is why a mosque sits among the Hindu and Buddhist works inside. Older local accounts say the citadel was besieged many times over its long life; those siege tallies are traditional lore, not documented counts, so enjoy them as stories. For the fort in its wider Junagadh and Girnar setting, see our Junagadh and Girnar guide.

The rock-cut Buddhist caves

The Uparkot Buddhist caves are a rock-cut, multi-tiered monastic retreat dated to roughly the 2nd to 4th century CE, among the fort’s oldest surviving works. Wikipedia describes them as a double-storeyed complex used by Buddhist monks; detailed site accounts describe three tiers cut into the rock, with the pottery and coins recovered from the top tier dated to about the 3rd–4th century CE.

The lowest level is the best preserved, with small meditation cells, a corridor and carved pillars, and openings that keep it lit and ventilated. The upper level has verandahs and carved balcony-style seats known as kakshasanas (ledge seats cut into the rock), set around a deep square central shaft. The caves are austere living quarters rather than decorated shrines, which fits their use as monsoon residences for monks. Their exact dating remains uncertain, so take the “2nd century” figure as a scholarly estimate, not a settled fact.

Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo

Uparkot’s two famous water structures are the Adi Kadi Vav, a stepwell cut as a long rock canyon, and the Navghan Kuvo, a deep well reached by a staircase winding inside the rock. Both solved the central problem of a hilltop fort, holding out through a siege, by reaching water deep below the plateau.

The Adi Kadi Vav is a stepwell carved straight out of solid rock rather than built up in masonry, which marks it as one of the earlier stepwells in the country; its exact date is hard to fix. Detailed site measurements put it at roughly 81 m long, about 4.75 m wide and around 41 m deep, with about 162 steps descending to the water. A local legend, told as legend, ties the well’s name to two maids, Adi and Kadi; there is no historical basis for it.

The Navghan Kuvo is a round well cut to great depth in the soft local rock, named after the Chudasama ruler Navghan (Navghan I, dated by one account to about 1060 CE). Site accounts give a depth of about 120 feet (roughly 37 m), with a wide staircase spiralling down around the shaft, lit and cooled by small openings cut into the wall. Walking down it, the mix of engineering and gloom is the fort’s most atmospheric moment.

Jama Masjid and the Neelam and Manek cannons

The Jama Masjid inside Uparkot is a mosque created from an earlier palace after the Gujarat Sultanate took Junagadh. Wikipedia attributes the mosque to Mahmud Begada; site accounts say Begada converted an existing residence, a columned hall often linked by tradition to the Chudasama queen Ranakdevi, into the mosque. Its prayer hall stands on rows of pillars, and the courtyard roof has three octagonal openings, a distinctive feature of the building.

Facing the mosque are the fort’s two large cannons, Neelam and Manek. According to travel and heritage accounts, these guns reached Junagadh with a Turkish (Ottoman) naval force sent to help the Gujarat Sultan Bahadur Shah against the Portuguese at Diu in the 16th century; after that campaign, the cannons were left behind and ended up at Uparkot. The same accounts say the cannons were cast in Egypt, with the larger, Neelam, about 17 feet long. The casting place and date (some sources say 1531) come from secondary accounts rather than an official record, so treat those specifics as attributed, not confirmed.

The Ashoka rock edict nearby

About 2 km from Uparkot Fort, on the road toward Girnar, a single large boulder carries the fourteen Major Rock Edicts of Emperor Ashoka, dated to about 250 BCE and inscribed in the Brahmi script in the Pali-Prakrit language, per Gujarat Tourism and Wikipedia. The edicts set out Ashoka’s moral code, urging restraint, an end to animal sacrifice and tolerance between sects; one well-known line warns that attacking other sects to glorify one’s own harms one’s own the most.

The same rock is a rare three-in-one record. Above the Ashoka edict is the Junagadh rock inscription of the Western Kshatrapa ruler Rudradaman I, in Sanskrit and dated to shortly after 150 CE, and a still later Gupta-era inscription of the time of Skandagupta, per Wikipedia. The two later inscriptions concern the repair of the ancient Sudarshana reservoir nearby. The edict site is ticketed separately from the fort; Gujarat Tourism lists it as open daily and notes details may change on the ground.

The 2020s restoration and reopening

Uparkot Fort was restored by the Government of Gujarat in a project begun in July 2020 and reopened to the public in September 2023. Per Wikipedia, the state began restoring the fort and its inner structures at a cost of about ₹44.46 crore, with an 18-month target. DeshGujarat reported in September 2023 that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was to inaugurate the renovated fort, with the reopening taking place that month.

Work covered the walls, gateways, caves, stepwells and pathways, with new visitor facilities added so the once-dilapidated citadel could take regular tourists again. A separate All India Radio report from March 2026 says a further phase of upgrades is planned, including new parking, a tourist centre and two lifts for accessibility. Exact fees and facilities after these works are best reconfirmed on arrival, as they are still changing (as of October 2026).

Best time to visit Uparkot Fort

The best time to visit Uparkot Fort is November to February, when Junagadh’s weather is dry and mild and comfortable for walking the fort and the deep stepwells. Travel guides describe peak winter as the easiest season for the city’s historic quarters, with cool evenings and dry air. Winter also suits a paired trip up Girnar, whether on foot or by ropeway.

Summer, roughly April to June, is harsh in Saurashtra, with daytime highs widely reported in the low-to-mid 40s °C, so keep fort visits to early morning then. The monsoon from July to September greens Girnar but makes rock steps slippery, both inside the fort’s wells and on the hill. If you visit in winter, start early to beat both the heat and the crowds (as of October 2026).

How to reach Uparkot Fort

The easiest way to reach Uparkot Fort is to come to Junagadh city and travel to its eastern edge, where the fort plateau rises above the old town; it is a short auto or taxi ride from the railway station. Junagadh is well connected within Saurashtra by rail and road, and sits roughly in the south-west of Gujarat.

By rail: Junagadh Junction is the nearest railway station, in the city itself, with services linking Rajkot, Ahmedabad and other Gujarat towns. From the station, hire an auto-rickshaw or taxi to the fort. Check current trains, names and running days on IRCTC or the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) before you book (as of October 2026).

By air: The nearest airport is Keshod, about 40 km away, with limited flights; larger airports are Rajkot (about 105 km) and Porbandar (about 104 km), per Gujarat Tourism. From any of these, continue to Junagadh by taxi or train. Confirm current flight schedules with the airline or the Airports Authority of India.

By road: Junagadh has state highway links toward Rajkot, Somnath and Gir. Buses of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and private operators serve the city; within town, autos reach the fort gate. Agree the fare before you set off.

Entry, timings and access

Uparkot Fort reopened after restoration as a ticketed heritage site, but published post-restoration fees and hours vary between sources, so treat the figures below as indicative and reconfirm at the gate. Travel guides commonly list the fort as open roughly 8 am–6 pm with a modest entry fee for Indian visitors (around ₹25 reported) and a higher fee for foreign nationals; exact rates were not confirmable from an official page this session.

The nearby Ashoka edict site is ticketed separately. Gujarat Tourism lists it as open daily 8 am–6 pm, with entry at ₹25 for Indians and ₹250 for foreign visitors, bookable via the ASI payment portal (asi.payumoney.com), and adds that timings and details may change based on on-site conditions. Because the fort’s own facilities are still being upgraded (2026), confirm current fees, hours and any lift or parking changes locally before you plan your day.

Where to stay and budget

The best base for Uparkot Fort is Junagadh city, which has the fort, the railway station and most of the area’s hotels within a few kilometres of each other. The city suits one or two nights, long enough to pair the fort with Girnar, the Mahabat Maqbara and Sakkarbaug zoo.

• Budget (around ₹700–₹1,500 a night): Guesthouses and small hotels near the station and bus stand, handy for an early fort start.
• Mid-range (around ₹1,800–₹3,500): Air-conditioned hotels with restaurants, the most comfortable base for a day of sightseeing.
• Higher-end (₹4,000 and up): A smaller number of upper-tier hotels and heritage-style stays in and around the city.

Rates are indicative planning bands as of October 2026 and rise sharply around Mahashivratri and the November Girnar Parikrama, so book ahead for those weeks. For a day in Junagadh, a hired auto or taxi covering the fort, Mahabat Maqbara and Sakkarbaug is the simplest plan.

Assumptions: one night in Junagadh, two people sharing a room and transport, meals at local restaurants, and a half-day at the fort. Long-distance train or flight fares are extra and vary by class and date.

Rules and practical tips

Uparkot Fort needs no special permit for ordinary sightseeing, but it is a working heritage site with deep, unrailed stepwells, so care matters more than paperwork. The Jama Masjid is a historic religious building, so dress and behave modestly, and do not remove or deface any stone.

• Stepwell safety: The Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo have long, steep, sometimes wet steps with limited railings. Descend slowly, hold the wall, and keep a close eye on children.
• Footwear and sun: Surfaces are uneven stone. Wear sturdy shoes, carry water, and take a hat and sunscreen outside winter.
• Cash and UPI: Carry some cash for autos, tickets and small vendors; UPI works in the city but may be patchy for small stalls near the fort.
• Drones and photography: Rules on drones at heritage and protected sites in India are restrictive; do not fly without checking locally.
• Healthcare: Junagadh city has hospitals and clinics; there is no medical facility inside the fort.
• Solo and women travellers: The fort is busy by day and generally straightforward; visit in daylight, and be mindful in the enclosed, quiet stepwells.

Nearby places

Uparkot Fort pairs naturally with Junagadh’s other monuments and with the Girnar hills, and makes an easy first stop on a wider Saurashtra trip toward Gir and Somnath. Most of the city sights sit within a few kilometres of the fort.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Uparkot Fort located?

Uparkot Fort is located on a plateau on the eastern edge of Junagadh city, in Junagadh district, Gujarat, at the foot of Girnar hill, per Wikipedia. It is controlled by the Government of Gujarat and reached easily from Junagadh Junction railway station by auto or taxi. The name Junagadh itself means “old fort”.

Who built Uparkot Fort and how old is it?

Uparkot Fort is traditionally traced to the Maurya period at the foot of Girnar, making it one of western India’s oldest citadels. Wikipedia notes that Hemchandra’s Dvyashraya is read as crediting the Chudasama ruler Graharipu (around 940–982 CE) with the fort in its present form. A legend adds that a later king, Navaghana, rediscovered the overgrown fort.

What is inside Uparkot Fort?

Uparkot Fort contains rock-cut Buddhist caves (roughly 2nd–4th century CE), the Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo stepwells, a Jama Masjid built from an older palace, and two large 16th-century cannons named Neelam and Manek. Within about 2 km, on the road to Girnar, a boulder carries the fourteen Rock Edicts of Ashoka and later inscriptions.

Has Uparkot Fort been restored and reopened?

Yes. The Government of Gujarat began restoring Uparkot Fort in July 2020 at a cost of about ₹44.46 crore, and the renovated fort was reopened in September 2023, per Wikipedia and DeshGujarat. An All India Radio report from March 2026 says a further phase will add parking, a tourist centre and two lifts, so facilities are still changing.

What are the entry fee and timings for Uparkot Fort?

Uparkot Fort reopened as a ticketed site, but post-restoration fees and hours vary between sources and were not confirmable from an official page this session; treat them as indicative. Guides commonly list about 8 am–6 pm with a modest Indian fee. The separate Ashoka edict site is open daily 8 am–6 pm at ₹25 for Indians and ₹250 for foreigners (Gujarat Tourism).

What is the best time to visit Uparkot Fort?

The best time to visit Uparkot Fort is November to February, when Junagadh is dry and mild, comfortable for the fort and its deep stepwells and for a trip up Girnar. Avoid April to June, when Saurashtra’s heat often reaches the 40s °C, and expect slippery steps during the July–September monsoon.

Last updated and sources

Uparkot Fort suits history travellers and anyone touring Junagadh and Girnar who wants one site that spans Buddhist, Hindu and Sultanate India; go between November and February, start early, and reconfirm fees and timings at the gate.

Last updated: 16 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.

Sources: Gujarat Tourism, Ashok Edicts, Junagadh and the Junagadh destination page; Wikipedia (used to locate primary detail), Uparkot Fort, Jumma Masjid, Uparkot and Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman; DeshGujarat, on the 2023 reopening; All India Radio (newsonair.gov.in) on the 2026 upgrade phase; site accounts on Ghumakkar for stepwell and cannon measurements (secondary, treated as attributed); Archaeological Survey of India, asi.nic.in; IRCTC and NTES for trains to Junagadh Junction. Accessed October 2026.