Cholistan's forts are the remains of a chain built along an old caravan route through the desert, most of them within a day's jeep drive of one another south of Bahawalpur. Derawar, the largest and best preserved, is the only one most visitors reach; Mojgarh, Jamgarh, Islamgarh, Marot and Bijnot lie further out across open sand, in varying states of survival, and need proper 4x4 transport and a guide who knows the route.
This guide sets out how the forts relate to each other, what condition each is in, and what it actually takes to get beyond Derawar into the rest of the chain.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Chain | A line of roughly a dozen forts built to guard the caravan route through Cholistan |
| Best preserved | Derawar and Jamgarh |
| Most ruined | Bijnot, damaged by shelling in the 1971 war |
| Access beyond Derawar | Open desert track; a 4x4 and local guide are needed |
| Best months | November to February |
Derawar: the one with a paved road
Derawar Fort is reached by a sealed road from Bahawalpur, and our full guide to Derawar covers the drive, the access rules and the Abbasi Mosque beside it in detail. It is worth repeating here only because every other fort in the chain is reached by comparison to it: Derawar is the fort you can get to in an ordinary car, and everything past it is desert driving.
Mojgarh, Jamgarh and the forts beyond Derawar
West of Derawar, along the Yazman–Fort Abbas road, a scatter of smaller mud and brick forts marks the old caravan line: Mojgarh, Marot, Jamgarh and Mirgarh among them. According to the Cholistan Development Authority, Mojgarh was built in 1743 by Khan Kahrani, and sits close to the Pakistan–India border; it is roughly 33 km from Marot, 43 km from Jamgarh and about 50 km from Mirgarh, with Derawar itself over 80 km further east. Jamgarh, built in 1788 by Jam Khan Marufani, is one of the better-preserved forts in the chain, with brickwork that has survived largely intact.
None of these distances are short, and there is no fuel or facilities between them. A trip that visits more than one of these forts in a day means a full day of driving on sand tracks, not a scenic loop.
Bijnot: the fort damaged by war, not time
Bijnot (also written Bhijnot or Bijnotgarh) sits close to the Pakistan–India border, in ruins that owe more to the 1971 war than to age. It came under artillery fire during the conflict and has never been rebuilt, which makes it look older and more broken than forts of a similar date elsewhere in the chain. Its remote position, well out into the desert near the border, makes it one of the harder forts to reach and one where a local guide matters most.
Condition across the chain
Taken together, the forts of Cholistan are unevenly preserved. Derawar's outer walls and bastions are largely intact, and Jamgarh's brickwork has held up well. Others, including Bijnot, are reduced to broken walls and foundations, worn by both weather and, in Bijnot's case, conflict. Several of the smaller forts have had little formal conservation work, and what you find on arrival can be a low crumbling perimeter rather than a standing structure. Go expecting ruins in the true sense at most stops beyond Derawar, not another Derawar.
Getting between the forts by jeep
Beyond Derawar's paved approach, the forts are linked only by tracks across sand and scrub, and a normal car will not manage them. A 4x4 with a driver who knows the desert is the only realistic way to see more than one or two of the outer forts, and most visitors arrange this in Bahawalpur, Yazman or Dera Nawab Sahib rather than turning up and hoping to hire one on the spot. Carry water, fuel and a phone with an offline map, since mobile signal is patchy well before you reach forts like Bijnot, and there is nothing resembling a shop once you leave Derawar behind.
The best time to attempt this drive is November to February, when the desert is at its coolest; our guide to the best time to visit Cholistan covers the seasons in more detail. Outside the winter months the heat makes a long day of desert driving between forts genuinely risky, not just uncomfortable.
Is the full fort chain worth the effort?
For most visitors, no: Derawar alone, reached by paved road in a normal car, gives you the best-preserved fort, the Abbasi Mosque and the royal tombs in a single manageable day, and it is what most of our Cholistan desert safari guests actually go to see. Pushing on to Mojgarh, Jamgarh or Bijnot suits travellers who already know Cholistan, have arranged a proper 4x4 and guide, and want the forts themselves more than comfort along the way. If your interest is the desert and the jeep culture around it rather than fort architecture, the annual Cholistan Jeep Rally is a more accessible way to experience the same landscape. Our trip-planning page can help you work out how many forts realistically fit around the rest of a Cholistan trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive to all the forts of Cholistan in a normal car?
Only to Derawar, which has a paved approach road. Every other fort in the chain, including Mojgarh, Jamgarh and Bijnot, is reached by unpaved desert tracks that need a 4x4.
How many forts are there in the Cholistan chain?
Sources differ, but the chain generally cited includes around a dozen forts along the old caravan route, among them Derawar, Mojgarh, Jamgarh, Marot, Mirgarh, Islamgarh, Khairgarh, Dingarh and Bijnot.
Which Cholistan fort is in the best condition?
Derawar, with its outer walls and forty bastions still standing, is the best preserved. Jamgarh's brickwork has also survived comparatively well for a fort of its age.
Why is Bijnot Fort so ruined?
Bijnot was damaged by artillery fire during the 1971 India–Pakistan war, close to the border it still sits near today. Its current state reflects that conflict as much as its age.
Do you need a guide to visit the forts beyond Derawar?
Yes, in practice. The tracks are unmarked, distances between forts run into tens of kilometres, and there is no signal or fuel along the way, so a local driver who knows the route is the sensible choice.
When is the best time to visit the Cholistan forts?
November to February, when daytime temperatures are manageable for a long desert drive. Summer heat in Cholistan is severe enough to make the outer forts a poor idea between April and October.
