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| Jaigarh Fort,Jaipur,Rajasthan |
My first interaction with cannon was “Jahan Kosha” during my schooldays, while on a visit to Murshidabad, West Bengal. It was a fabulous experience to get acquainted with ensembles of various sized cannons, from miniature to mammoth. Jahan Kosha was the biggest and it was believed that thundering of Jahan Kosha would have annihilated the entire world. In sixteenth century it was an effort by the rulers of Bengal intended to keep the marauders at bay.
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| Jaivana Cannon |
Now, it was my journey to interact with the World`s largest cannon on wheels. The image of Jahan Kosha was peeping through my memory as we were approaching the Jaigarh fort of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The picturesque scenario of the vast stretch of the Aravalli Hills, were spread like a natural barrier to the enemies trying to access the fort and on top of the hill the sprawling stretch of the ramparts of Jaigarh fort emerged like a reminder of a fairy tale. Sounding like hooves of thousand horses immediately a spell of torrential rain trampled with their war cry accompanied with thundering mirth and the weather shrouded with sudden gloom. The rain slowly ceased after repressing the unruly dust and as we reached the fort Sun already came out with ebullient sheen.
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| Jaivana cannon |
First glimpse of the legendary cannon Jaivana was inexplicably very engrossing. Lifting the muzzle on gigantic wheels it was gleaming in predatory elegance, like a creepy crocodile basking before deadly assault. Huge strapping body and bigger than all my previous experiences. Jaivana, the legacy on wheels was manufactured in the foundry of Jaigarh fort with a disastrous shelling range over 30-kilometres. It was test fired only once to witness the capacity of shelling and measure the enormity of rampage and as expected it landed shell on the target very viciously and ghastly. The shock wave produced due to its thundering hurl caused casualty in gunner’s side too.
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| foundry of Jaigarh fort,Jaipur |
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