Kangra Fort stands in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India, on the outskirts of Kangra town, about 20 kilometers from Dharamsala. It sits on a hillock between the Manjhi and Banganga rivers. Historical mentions span roughly 4,000 years, and it is considered the oldest fort in the Himalayas. The earliest surviving remains are Jain and Hindu temples from about the 9th to 10th century. The Katoch dynasty of Rajputs built it.
Mahmud of Ghazni invaded in 1009, the earliest recorded reference to the fort. Mughal forces held it from 1620 to 1783, and the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh took it in 1809.
A British garrison occupied the fort until an earthquake on April 4, 1905, heavily damaged it. The site covers about 463 acres, and the Archaeological Survey of India protects it.
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