| Keoti Fort | |
| Partof: | Madhya Pradesh,  India |
| Location: | Rewa District, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Map Type: | India Madhya Pradesh |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| Type: | Fort |
| Coordinates: | 24.8171°N 81.4573°W |
| Condition: | dilapidated |
| Open To Public: | yes |
Keoti Fort (also Keonti Fort) is an Indian fortress (qila) situated on the Rewa Plateau about north-east of the city of Rewa, in Rewa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Keoti Fort is said to have been constructed by Raja Parmal Dev in 1500 AD.[1] mentioned in an account of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Thakur Ranmat Sinha, a leader in the Rebellion in Rewa State, went into hiding near Keoti Fort. In an encounter at the fort, he killed a British officer who had come to arrest him. Eventually, he surrendered at the urging of the Maharaja Raghuraj Singh who supported the British. He was hanged in 1860 for the murder of the British officer.[2] [3]
Keoti Fort is situated on the Rewa Plateau near the northern end of the Vindhya Escarpment.[4] The fort is built on the right bank of a ravine that the Mahana River has cut into the escarpment. The high Keoti Falls is on the opposite side of the ravine, visible from the northern part of the fort. The elevation of Keoti Fort is above mean sea level.
Keoti Fort is about from the city of Rewa.[5] The nearest airport is located at Prayagraj (Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh, a distance of .[6]
The west wall of the fort runs along the Mahana ravine for about . The south wall extends about east from the ravine. The east wall with the main entrance is about long. There after, the fort depth narrows to about at the northern end of the fort. The total area enclosed by the walls is about . Towers are located at the corners of the outer walls.
The construction material is stone and clay mortar. Loopholes with three angles of fire are built into the outer walls at regular intervals and at various heights. These are useful for defense against enemy coming across the flat plateau.
The fort is open to the public. Entrance is free (January 2024). Fairs are held annually which attract many people. The carvings and stone artefacts, the natural beauty and the view of the Keoti Falls across the gorge behind the fort are attractions that draw visitors.
In 2016, the MP Government denotified the fort as a "protected heritage site" and transferred it to the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to be developed as a heritage hotel. In July 2021, the MP Tourism Board issued a tender for development of the Keoti Fort.[7] However, it was reported that the fort had not been leased out and was falling into a state of disrepair.[8] A local news report claims that the fort is being neglected by the administration and is frequented by petty criminals. These factors may deter tourists.
The Hindi movie Bindhi aur Bandook (1972) was shot at Keoti Fort.