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Kangra Fort is located at a distance of 20km from the town of Dharamsala on the outskirts of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. It’s the largest fort in the Himalayas, and according to the Archaeological Survey of India, it is the 8th largest in the country – covering an area of 463 acres. It is also India’s oldest dated fort and is believed to have been built around 3500 years ago by Maharaja Susharma Chandra, a descendant of the Katoch family, according to the Archaeological Survey of India. This royal Rajput family is said to have been founded by Rajanaka Bhumi Chand in 4300 B.C. Legend has it that there was a time when Goddess Ambika (a form of Goddess Parvati) was fighting a ferocious demon. In the long and hard battle, a drop of the goddess’s sweat fell on Earth. From this emerged Bhumi Chand of the Chandravanshi (the moon clan), who helped the goddess fight the demon. As a blessing, Ambika granted him the kingdom of Trigarta, located between the three rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi. Kangra is a part of this region.