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The fort of Chitradurga is the first and foremost monument that ponders in to the mind of the tourists by the very mentioning of the name of this district. This strong fortress with 7 concentric ramparts is classified as “Giridurga” i.e. a Hill fort. This hill fort possessing seven pinnacles is named as “Chinmuladri”. which has seven ranges that surround a central hill called as ‘tuppada kola’, which has Hidimbeshwara hill and the Shivalaya hill to its east and Northeast directions respectively and to the Western side is the Kahalebatheri hill and the Lal-batheri and Nallikayisiddappa hills are situated in the southern side. The Jandabatheri and the Bhimanabatheri are to the north of this hill. The entire Tuppada kola hill and the surrounding valley with the fortification is referred to as Meldurga i.e. upper fort. This fortified region is circular on plan. The entire fortified region in about 300 meters above ground level.
The modern Chitradurga possessed the name Chinmuladri and Hidimbipattana as per mythical records. The epigraphs of Chalukyas of Kalyana and Hoysalas refer to this place variously as Sulgallu, Bemmathanagallu, Bemmathanuru, Brahmhapurigeri, Perumalepura, Chinchanagiridurga, Shinganagiridurga and Chinthakaldurga. By 18th century this was renowned as Chitrakalludurga which was renamed as Farookh-yab-hissar (Faruqabad) when it was conquered by Hyder ali. The local legends refer to this place as Sitrakalludurga, Chitrakallu, Sintharakallu and so on.
The invincible fort of Chitradurga has been suitably planned for the war techniques of the contemporary days. This stands as an example for the insight of the valiant Nayakas of Chitradurga. This fort with seven enclosures has withstood the ravages of nature for centuries. The valour of the Nyakas of this land gave it the epithet “Gandu mettida nadu” meaning the Land of masculine prowess. Another notable future this fort is that it is a combination of the three classifications of the fortress mentioned in the Arthashasthra of Kautillya namely “Giridurga, Jaladurga and vanadurga “. This fort as 19 main entrances, 38 wicket entrances, 35 portholes and 4 secret entrances. There are 14 major temples namely Ekanatheshwari, Hidimbeshwari, Sampige sideshwara, Phalguneshwara and others. Other monuments and places of tourist interest are Murugamata, Onakekindi, grinding stones of gun powder, remnants of the royal palace, granary and oil tanks, gymnasium, the 40 feet high swing stand, watch towers, gun holes, military quarters and others. The Tuppadakoladabatheri hill is an astonishment for the tourist. Many a times this fort misleads the trespassers who are unaware of its environs.
History of the Chitradurga Fort
The Chitradurga Fort is decorated with several inscriptions of the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and the Vijayanagara Kings. These inscriptions are found in and around the fort. According to some inscriptions here, this area dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. Archaeologists have also found Ashokan period rock edicts near Brahmagiri that link Chitradurga to the Mauryan Empire during the reign of royal dynasties of Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, and Hoysalas. However, the area that now houses the fort came into prominence only during the reign of the Nayakas of Chitradurga, also known as Paleygars (little kings), a feudatory of the Vijaynagar Empire.
The years from 1500 to 1800 AD proved to be turbulent for the Chitradurga Fort. The Vijaynagar Empire had taken this region from the Hoysalas and they brought the Nayakas, the traditional local chieftains of this area, under their control as their feudatory. Their dynastic reign ended in 1565. After 1565, the Nayakas of Chitradurga decided to rule this region independently and their clan ruled over it undisturbed for 200 years until the last of their rulers, Madakari Nayaka V, was defeated by Hyder Ali of the Kingdom of Mysore in 1779. The Chitradurga Fort bore witness to the rise and fall of empires, and during all this time, it remained central to their reigns, particularly for the Nayakas.
In 1779 the fort went to the Kingdom of Mysore. In 1799, the famous Tipu Sultan was killed by the British in the Fourth Mysore War, and the Mysore Kingdom was reordered under the Wodeyars. Chitradurga became a part of the Mysore province.
Chitradurga Fort is known as a stone fort due to its ramparts being made of heavy blocks of granite. It has several concentric walls, multiple entrances, four unseen passages, and thirty-five secret paths. In addition to all these features, the fort also has 2000 watchtowers.
As per historical records, Chitradurga Fort has witnessed several attacks from inimical forces. Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, took over the fort in 1779.
Karnataka Tourism rich with scenic beauty, is located at the southern part of India. Resourceful with all kind of varieties including temples, wild life sanctuaries, water falls, cosmopolitan cities, valleys, hill resorts, beaches etc..., Karnataka is a must visit state in India for all tourist enthusiasts and will not get disappointed. The weather is very moderate at southern districts. The temperature remains ideal throughout the year. Most part of the Karnataka state are agricultural lands as the state is rich in rivers. The western part has Arabian see and then the range of Western Ghats follows. This is the eighth largest state in India both in area and population. This state is famous for its natural beauty, rich culture and pleasant climate. Bangalore is the capital city of Karnataka and is famous as IT hub housing many small and large IT companies. Kannada is the official (spoken and public correspondence) language of the state. But, the accent varies from region to region within the state. We will discuss some important places of various districts to travel as destinations in Karnataka. Here are details of various districts on Karnataka tourism. Visit the individual district page for more details about important places to visit and the distances of each place from various other places.
