The Raisen Fort is situated in the Raisen district and is about 1.5 to 2 hours drive from the central city of Bhopal. However, note that there is a short trek to reach the main entrance gate to the fort. But the view of Raisen city from the walkway once you reach a certain height is sure to take your breathe away spread over an entire expanse with hills providing a perfect backdrop.
Coming to the fort, it takes about 15-20 mins of trek and a short walk to enter the central area of the fort. You could explore the many small open pathways before reaching the central area, though just be careful while walking. Though the fort is spread across the entire hill, its construction is stunning. The fort must have been exemplary and royal when it was actually in use.
Once you enter the central area of the fort, you can see that on the left side, there is a temple of Lord Shiva. The temple's structure is beautiful, with all the pillars in perfect shape. Once you keep moving inside, you will see the Queen Palaces, where the queens used to stay. There is even a small structure that the security there told me is known as the Shringar Palace, or the dressing room for the queens. On one end, just below the flight of stairs where you climb to reach the kachahari or the court, is the entrance leading to the cellars below the fort. While the same is closed now, the security did tell me that the cellars are multi-floors deep and are pretty expansive from the inside.
Finally, when you reach the top floor, you have all the cannons lined up, which are over 600 years old and might have been used in war then. There is also the dargah on the top floor, and beside the same is a set of room-like structures used as a residential structure for the special guests visiting the fort.
The fort is beautiful and expansive overall, and you need at least 2-3 hours to cover the entire fort adequately, as per the map of the place. Thus, it is a must-visit place in Madhya Pradesh and holds significant historical importance.
