#chitradurgafort
#fort #hawamahal
Chitradurga Fort or as the British called it Chitaldoorg,[1] is a fortification that straddles several hills and a peak overlooking a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort's name Chitrakaldurga, which means 'picturesque fort' in Kannada, is the namesake of the town Chitradurga and its administrative district.[2][3][4]
Chitradurga Fort
Karnataka, India
1 of 7 concentric walled layers of Chitradurga fort.jpg
One of the seven layers of Chitradurga fort
Chitradurga Fort is located in IndiaChitradurga FortChitradurga Fort
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Coordinates
14.2152°N 76.3953°E
Type
Fort
Site information
Controlled by
Government of Karnataka
Open to
the public
Yes
Site history
Built
13-16th century
Built by
Chalukyas
Materials
Granite stones
Battles/wars
Nayakas against Hyder Ali in 1760s, 1770s and 1799
The fort was built in stages between the 11th and 13th centuries by the dynastic rulers of the region including the Chalukyas and Hoysalas, later the Nayakas of Chitradurga of the Vijayanagar Empire.[5] The Nayakas of Chitradurga, or Palegar Nayakas, were most responsible for the expansion of the fort between the 15th and 18th centuries. The fort was taken over for a short while by Hyder Ali at Chitradurga in 1779. The fort was captured by the British forces twenty years later, when they defeated his son Tipu Sultan.[5] The fort is built in a series of seven concentric fortification walls with various passages, a citadel, masjid, warehouses for grains and oil, water reservoirs and ancient temples. There are 18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. Among these temples, the oldest and most interesting is the Hidimbeshwara temple. The masjid was an addition during Hyder Ali's rule.[2][3][4] The fort's many interconnecting tanks were used to harvest rainwater, and the fort was said to never suffer from a water shortage.[citation needed]
Etymology Edit
Chitradurga is formed of two words in the Kannada language: ‘Chitra’ means "picture" and ‘Durga’ means "fort" and is tagged with the English word ‘fort’ to form the name "Chitradurga Fort". It is also locally known as "Kallina Kote" or Stone Fortress, which is also formed of two Kannada words ‘Kallina’: "Stone" and Kote: "Fort". Other names used in Kannada are ‘Ukkina Kote": "Steel Fort" (metaphorically used to mean an impregnable fort) and ‘Yelusuttina Kote’: "Seven Circles Fort".[citation needed]
Geography Edit
Chitradurga Fort lies in the midst of a valley formed by the Vedavati River. The Tungabhadra River flows to the northwest of the fort. Seven hills constitute the Chinmuladri range. The seven circles of the fort enclose these hills. Features of massive rock hills and scenic valleys, huge towering boulders are seen in the fort precincts. The hills on which major part of the fort and the city rest belong to the oldest rock of granitic formation in the country. The highest hill peak of the area is located at Jogi Matti, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the south of Chitradurga.[3] The highest elevation of the hills at the fort is 976 metres (3,202 ft).[6] The area covered by the fort is reported to be 1,500 acres (607.0 ha).
The fort is located 120 km (74.6 mi) from Hampi, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and 200 km (124.3 mi) from Bangalore. Chitradurga railway line is connected to main line at ChikkajajurBangalore/Mysore – Arasikere broad gauge railway line.[7]
History Edit
Further information: Nayakas of Chitradurga
A number of inscriptions of the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar kings have been found in and around the fort. These inscriptions trace the history of the fort to the Ashokan period rock edicts found near Brahmagiri also link Chitradurga to the Mauryan Empire during the reign of the royal dynasties of Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. However, the area where the fort now exists achieved prominence only under the dynastic rule of the Nayakas of Chitradurga or "Paleygars" (called "little kings") as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire.[2]
Between 1500 AD and 1800 AD, Chitradurga Fort witnessed a turbulent history starting with the Vijayanagar Empire; the empire had gained control of this region from the Hoysalas. Vijayanagar rulers brought the Nayakas, the traditional local chieftains of the area, under their control as their feudatory, until their dynastic reign ended in 1565 A.D. Thereafter, the Nayakas of Chitradurga took independent control of the region and their clan ruled for more than 200 years until the last of their rulers, Madakari Nayaka V, was defeated by Hyder Ali of Mysore Kingdom, in 1779. During all these years, Chitradurga Fort was central to the reign, particularly of the Nayakas.[4]
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