Gooty Fort
About Gooty Fort
Far From City: 49 kms from city center
Cost:
About Gooty Fort
Weather:
Time Required:1-2 hours
Open Time:Sunrise to Sunset
Cost:No entry fee
History of Gooty Fort
Gooty fort possesses various damaged inscriptions that appear to be from the times of the Western Chalukya empire, under the rule of Vikramaditya VI. The area later was taken over by the Vijayanagar empire and once was the abode of one of the most powerful Hindu rulers of all time, Krishnadevaraya. The Qutb Shahi dynasty succeeded the Vijayanagar empire and subsequently fell into the hands of the Mughals when their capital of Golconda was annexed.
In the 18th century, the Maratha general Murari Rao captured the fort area and revamped the structure to strengthen it. Hyder Ali, the then ruler of the Mysore kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan, forced Murari Rao to surrender when he ran out of water supplies. With the onset of the British invasion of India, the important fort fell into the hands of the British East India Company.
Architecture of Gooty Fort
Gooty Fort is one of the most important forts in Andhra Pradesh and arguably the oldest in the state. Although the exact date of construction of the fort is not known, it has witnessed over a millennium of different empires that have commanded its durable walls and sturdy nature. The fort is a mix of Hindu-Muslim architecture, structured in the shape of a shell and covering an area of approximately 20 acres. It comprises of 15 different fort buildings each with its own gateway. Built out of granite, lime and mortar, the ruined structure has withstood the test of time.
The vast enclosure is a massive fort complex, housing a series of buildings ranging from granaries to bastions to magazines that have seen centuries of bombardment, sieges and wars burdened upon them. The ramshackle memoirs of horse and elephant stables, courtrooms, storerooms, gymnasiums etc., are still present here. The citadel of the fort is present on the westernmost hill, which now houses two buildings - a granary and a gunpowder magazine, both of which are in ruins. Just adjacent to it lies a 300 meter high cliff, with a space made out of polished limestone. This place was said to be the resting point of Murari Rao, the Maratha general who used to play chess here. The vantage point called Murari Rao's Seat provides a picturesque sight of the town below and uninterrupted views over the horizon.
There are a few temples in the ruins and the ruined Narasimha temple present on top of the hill is said to be the oldest temple in the complex. Numerous inscriptions have been found in the premises that date back to more than thousand years, with Kannada and Sanskrit dialects. The inscription of the Vijayanagar king, Bukka Raya I, mentions the fort as the King of Forts. During the British rule, some of the buildings were used as prisons by Thomas Munro, the administrator who is now buried in a cemetery at the foothills of the fort. There are also evidences of rainwater harvesting being carried out in the fort enclosure!
Best time to visit Gooty Fort
The fort site is visited by tourists and history enthusiasts all throughout the year, but it would be inconvenient to proceed here during the summer months (between April and June) as they are sweltering hot.
How to Reach Gooty Fort
Gooty is well connected by roadways to major towns nearby such as Anantapur (52 kilometres), Ballari in Karnataka (82 kilometres), Kurnool (95 kilometres). The Bangalore-Hyderabad highway (National Highway 7) connects both the major cities in the north-south direction, both the cities being equidistant at 300 kilometres. State-owned and private buses also operate from these places.
The Gooty railway junction is a major passing point for many important trains such as the Chennai Express, Rayalseema Superfast Express, Kacheguda Express, Karnataka Express etc.
Top Tourist Places in Anantapur
Iskcon Temple
Bugga Ramalingeswara Swami Temple
Penukonda Fort
Gooty Fort
Veera Bhadra Temple
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Tips
1. Visiting this fort requires physical strength as it is a walk uphill across rocky terrain.2. Carry adequate amounts of water when travelling here.
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