India is a country where rocks have tales to tell—mills become not only buildings but repositories of bravery, victory, and days of yore splendor. As much as grand monuments such as the Red Fort and Mehrangarh entice people, numerous off-the-beaten-path yet enchanting forts lie scattered around the subcontinent, longing to be rediscovered.
These forts—usually not found marked on tourist maps—are rich in history, majestic in architecture, and enigmatic. Let us take a glance at five of India's lost forts, starting with river-fringed Gagron, the artistic Chanderi, and the strategically invincible Gingee.