Kans Quila

Kans Quila is a fortified castle located in Mathura, India. The fort is named after Kamsa, a king who lived around 3271 BCE to 3214 BCE, in the ancient city of Mathura, India. Kansa was the maternal uncle of Shri Krishna, a Hindu God. The fort is believed to be from the age when Lord Vishnu was about to take avatar on this earth, about 3300 BCE It is situated on the northern banks of the Yamuna River. The fort is also known as the Old Fort or Purana Quila. The fort is protected by then Archaeological Survey of India

The first known description of the fort was mentioned by Joseph Tieffenthaler, an Austrian Jesuit who had visited Mathura in May 1744. Later, it was also mentioned by Narahara Chakravarti in the 18th century, who described it to be the ruins of Kansa's castle. Since then, the castle walls have largely crumbled away and the site has been encroached upon. The current structure was built by Man Singh I. An observatory is said to have been added in the complex by Sawai Jai Singh (1699–1743), however it has been demolished now. The fort was used by Jats and Marathas, and under the British rule the fort was neglected and somewhat demolished. The fort has an audience hall surrounded by red sandstone pillars. The fort was earlier used as a barrier against floods.