Keoti Fort

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Keoti Fort
Part of Madhya Pradesh,  India
Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh, India
Keoti Fort, front and south side, ca. 2024
Keoti Fort
Coordinates	24°49′02″N 81°27′26″E / 24.81714°N 81.45725°E / 24.81714; 81.45725
Type	Fort
Site information
Open to the public	yes
Condition	dilapidated

Keoti Fort (also Keonti Fort) is an Indian fortress (qila) situated on the Rewa Plateau about 53 kilometres (33 mi) north-east of the city of Rewa, in Rewa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Keoti Fort is said to have been constructed by Raja Parmal Dev in 1500 AD.^[1] mentioned in an account of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Thakur Ranmat Sinha, a leader in the Rebellion in Rewa State, went into hiding near Keoti Fort. In an encounter at the fort, he killed a British officer who had come to arrest him. Eventually, he surrendered at the urging of the Maharaja Raghuraj Singh who supported the British. He was hanged in 1860 for the murder of the British officer.^[2][3]

Keoti Fort is situated on the Rewa Plateau near the northern end of the Vindhya Escarpment.^[4] The fort is built on the right bank of a ravine that the Mahana River has cut into the escarpment. The 98 m (322 ft) high Keoti Falls is on the opposite side of the ravine, visible from the northern part of the fort. The elevation of Keoti Fort is 280 m (920 ft) above mean sea level.^{[citation needed]}

Keoti Fort is about 53 km (33 mi) from the city of Rewa.^[5] The nearest airport is located at Prayagraj (Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh, a distance of 114 km (71 mi).^[6]

The west wall of the fort runs along the Mahana ravine for about 200 m (660 ft). The south wall extends about 100 m (330 ft) east from the ravine. The east wall with the main entrance is about 40 m (130 ft) long. There after, the fort depth narrows to about 25 m (82 ft) at the northern end of the fort. The total area enclosed by the walls is about 1.0 ha (2.5 acres). Towers are located at the corners of the outer walls.^{[citation needed]}

The construction material is stone and clay mortar. Loopholes with three angles of fire are built into the outer walls at regular intervals and at various heights. These are useful for defense against enemy coming across the flat plateau.^{[citation needed]}

The fort is open to the public. Entrance is free (January 2024).^{[citation needed]} Fairs are held annually which attract many people. The carvings and stone artefacts, the natural beauty and the view of the Keoti Falls across the gorge behind the fort are attractions that draw visitors.^[1]

In 2016, the MP Government denotified the fort as a "protected heritage site" and transferred it to the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to be developed as a heritage hotel. In July 2021, the MP Tourism Board issued a tender for development of the Keoti Fort.^[7] However, it was reported that the fort had not been leased out and was falling into a state of disrepair.^[8] A local news report claims that the fort is being neglected by the administration and is frequented by petty criminals. These factors may deter tourists.^[1]

The Hindi movie Bindhi aur Bandook (1972) was shot at Keoti Fort.^[1]

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  Front (east) facade
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  Front and north side
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  Tower on south-east corner
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  Gorge of the Mahana River behind the fort

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  Inside south-west part, tower overlooking the ravine, loopholes near the top of the wall
• 
  Northern inside of the fort: ravine on left, north wall in centre, east wall on right
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  Loophole in outer wall for firearms
• 
  Grinding stone inside the fort

• List of forts in Madhya Pradesh
• Keoti Falls

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keoti Fort.

21°28′16″N 76°17′37″E / 21.4710°N 76.2937°E / 21.4710; 76.2937