Poonch Fort (Poonch)

 fort, historical building

The Poonch fort was built in the second half of the 18th Century by Raja Rustum Khan. Many legends are associated with the construction of the fort. A very popular one amongst them is the the construction of the fort was actually planned by Raja Abdul Razzak Khan, however he could not build the same. Then his son Raja Ali Gohar Khan (also called Raja Rustum Khan) started the work on the Fort; however even he faced many difficulties. Then at the advice of someone, the only surviving son of a Brahmin widow was sacrificed and the construction of the fort was completed. People also believe that the soul of the child who was sacrificed still resides in the Fort complex and is known to slap the guards stationed there at night.

Nowadays the fort complex houses many government offices.

The Kashmir earthquake of 2005 caused a lot of damage to the Fort complex. The Fort complex is now being renovated.