{"id":122172,"date":"2022-06-20T13:45:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T08:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/?p=122172"},"modified":"2023-09-06T20:51:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T15:21:05","slug":"chitradurga-fort-the-fort-of-seven-circles-in-karnataka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/travel\/chitradurga-fort-the-fort-of-seven-circles-in-karnataka","title":{"rendered":"Chitradurga Fort: The fort of Seven circles in Karnataka"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chitradurga Fort is located in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka. It\u2019s the strongest hill fort in the country and is locally known as the\u00a0<\/span>Elusuttina Kote,\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>which means \u201cthe fort of seven circles\u201d. It is at an approximate distance of 200 Km from the state capital- Bengaluru.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the colonial era, this fort was known as Chitaldoorg. Spread over an area of 1500 acres, this fort was constructed during the 11th and 13th centuries by Chalukyas and Hoysalas, who ruled this region. Later, between the 15th and 18th centuries, this fort was expanded by the Nayakas.<\/span><\/p>\n

History of the Chitradurga Fort<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on the inscriptions of the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and the Vijayanagar Kings found in this fort, the history of this fort can be traced back to the Ashokan period. Under the reign of Nayakas of Chitradurga, this place became prominent.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, between 1500 and 1800 AD, many rulers took over this fort. Firstly, the Nayakas of Chitradurga, as a feudatory of the Vijaynagar Empire, took control of this region from Hoysalas and ruled it till 1565. After that, the Nayakas independently ruled this region till 1779. Their last ruler was Madakari Nayaka V.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1779, Haider Ali defeated the last ruler of the Nayakas and ruled this region. He led this fort until the fourth Mysore War, when Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali, was defeated by the Britishers. After which, this fort became part of the Mysore Province. At present, this fort is located in the state of Karnataka.<\/span><\/p>\n

Structure of the Chitradurga Fort<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chitradurga Fort is one of the well-structured and well-built forts in India. It has 19 gateways, 38 postern gates, 35 secret entrances, and four invisible entrances. While most of them have disappeared now, the fort also has seven concentric ramparts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The structure of this fort was well-planned to deal with war conditions. The outer wall of this fort was made using granite. It has zigzag pathways to slow down the enemies entering the fort. The doors here are made of thick wood and fastened with iron plates. It also has a sophisticated water harvesting system that ensures that the fort never runs out of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from all this, the Chitradurga fort also has a total of sixteen temples within it. Some famous temples are Hidimbeshwara, Ekanthamma, Phalguneshvara, Gopalkrishna, Anjaneya, Subbaraya, and Basava.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another essential element of this fort is the\u00a0<\/span>Onake Obavvana Kindi<\/span><\/strong>. It is a small crevice where Obava hid when Haider Ali attacked the fort. She killed his army men using Onake when they tried to the fort.<\/span><\/p>\n

Location<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chitradurga Fort, Chitradurga, Karnataka 577501<\/span><\/p>\n

Timings<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

6.00 AM to 6.00 PM (All Days)<\/span><\/p>\n

Entry Ticket<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n