Popularly known as the Bhangion da Killa (fort of the Bhangis), Gobindgarh Fort is located on the southeast fringe of Amritsar, in a square pattern, with a perimeter of 1,000 m and made up entirely of bricks and lime. The fort had 25 canons mounted on its ramparts and it remained with the Bhangi rulers till 1805, a few years after the death of Gujjar Singh and the decline of the Bhangi rule.

The fort's proximity to Lahore had already made it an attraction to Maharaja Ranjit Singh who overtook and renamed it Gobindgarh –after the 10th Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh –when he made Lahore his capital in 1799.  The fort saw major repairs, additions and rebuilding from 1805 till 1809, under the supervision of its second governor Fakir Iman-ud-din. Shamir Singh, the first governor did not last long in his tenure.

Unlike other forts that are built at ground level, this square fort was built with four bastions at each corner (with walls as thick as 26 ft), four parapets and two gates. Apart from housing the troops, the roof of the bastion also provided a vantage point for the lookouts to give an early warning to the kiladar (officer incharge of the fort). The Nalwa Gate (named after a famed Sikh warrior) guards the main entrance to the fort, while the Keeler Gate marks the rear entry.  GG Fort, as it is popularly now known, has four islands at its sides, with a moat around them thus enhancing its defence potential. The garrison contingent of the fort was commanded by the kiledar, who was assisted by a number of officials. The immediate commander of the troops was known as the jamadar, while the mustadi was responsible for roll calls and preparing the pay rolls. A number of darogahs looked after the various stores of the fort. A general idea of the constitution of the garrison troops can be obtained from the following effective strength of the Gobindgarh Garrison Guards in 1848, at the time of the Second Sikh War: subedar: one, jamadar: one, havaldar (ranking officer): 11, naik (ranking officer): 19, dominons (non-officer): two, sipahi (soldier): 180. A total of 210 men.
The fort also housed the toshakhana (treasury), Durbar Hall (king's court) and various living places and storehouses. It is said that 3,000 mann (a means of weight measurement) of grain were always stored inside it and 12,000 soldiers were always ready in its defence.

The toshakhana was divided into two parts –khas and bahla, with its treasurer being called the toshakhania. The toshakhana maintained separate accounts of the zar-i-naqd or cash and the jins or the goods and precious metals received in the treasury. The Durbar Hall was the place from where the administrative functions of the fort were conducted. The ground floor comprises a number of smaller rooms from where the various functionaries performed their tasks. There are two large halls for the Maharaja's durbars and dispensations. The Durbar Hall was used in a similar manner when the British occupied the fort. A unique feature, traces of which can still be seen is the moat service track pathway that exists all around the fort, though in various stages of disuse. It is 1.17 km in length, with 1,290 steps, six  to 16 ft wide at places and has 25 weapon emplacements/ firing positions, which were once used to defend the fort during the Sikh Wars (the battles of the Sikh rulers with the British Raj). Recently during repairs and cleaning, a rain water drain was uncovered, which revealed the marvel of engineering nearly two and a half centuries old.

Legend has it that there is an underground escape tunnel connecting Gobindgarh Fort to Lahore from Keelar Gate. The presumed remains of the entrance to the tunnel are visible from inside the gate. It is also said that the tunnel was wide enough for a mounted horseman to pass through. Many past efforts to unearth this tunnel have failed and since there are no official versions of its existence, all efforts by tourists have always been discouraged. What are visible though are the remains of a route from inside the fort to its four defensive islands.

There are many versions to reason as to why Maharaja Ranjit Singh invested so heavily in this fort. Some stories point to him wanting to be in the good graces of Maharaja Jodh Singh Ramgarhia, whose co-operation was required in the conquest of Kasur (now in Pakistan). According to another tale, the protection of the holy tank and the pilgrims offered a pretext to Maharaja Ranjit Singh for erecting a fort. It is also suggested that it was at the persuasion of Maharaja Jaswant Rao Holkar, that Ranjit Singh, in order to protect his treasure at Amritsar, went about strengthening the monument.

The Maharaja believed that whoever possessed the fort, held the keys to the kingdom. Usually, foreign visitors would be shown the fort from outside, and only his principal chiefs were allowed to enter it. However, breaking tradition in December 1838, Maharaja Ranjit Singh took W G  Osborne, Military Secretary to the Lord of Auckland, and showed him the building from inside. As per Osborne's memoirs, the toshakhana contained many treasure chests containing 12 million gold coins each!

In 1839, Maharaja Ranjit Singh died and by March 1846, the British, after the First Sikh War, took over Lahore. They allowed Maharaja Gulab Singh, to be the titular head with his capital at Amritsar. They took possession of the city as well as the fort (till 1947) after the Second Sikh War in 1849. General Dyer, the British commander, infamous for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also stayed in the fort, which till date houses the Hawa Mahal, Phansi Ghar and certain other monuments of the Raj.

The Indian army ,while garrisoned there for 57 years ,has put in a lot of concentrated effort towards the upkeep of the fort. In fact, the contract for the restoration of the fort, which was handed over to the MES (Military Electrical Supplies), was completed in a record rupees nine lakh. Sooner or later, this marvel of Gujjar Singh Bhangi is bound to become a permanent spot on the itinerary of every visitor on the lookout for history and grandeur in Amritsar.