Fort city and Kote Nadu
Founded: Thimmana Nayak
Bangalore to Chitradurga 200km

The city is famous for fort , which was built in 15th century . Chitradurga features bold rock hills. The boulders on which a major part of the city was developed belong to the oldest rock formation in the country.

The fort originally had to have had 19 gateways, 38 postern-gates, 35 secret entrances and 4 ‘invisible’ entrances. Many of these gates have gone out of existence now.

Zigzagging pathways slowed down enemy soldiers and prevented the use of battering rams.

Fort:

BELIEVED AS IMPREGNABLE WITH SEVEN LINES OF CONCENTRIC RAMPARTS, CHITRADURGA IS A UNIQUE PICTUREQUE HILL FORT. THREE LINES OF RAMPARTS, ARE BELOW THE HILL AND FOUR ROWS ARE ON THE SLOPES OF THE ROCKY HILL. THE LOWER-MOST FORTIFICATION HAS FOUR MAIN ENTRANCE GATES. ONE AT THE EAST CALLED RANGAYYANA BAGILU HAS AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM NEAR IT AND LEADS TO RANGANATHA TEMPLE AT THE NIRTADI VILLAGE. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS SIRA DARWAZA. SIDDAYYANA BAGILU OR SANTHEBAGILU IS TO THE NORTH, ALSO KNOWN AS FATEH DARWAZA. TO THE WEST IS UCCHANGI BAGILU, ALSO CALLED SIHINIRUHONDADA BAGILU, AS THERE IS A SWEET WATER POND NEAR IT. THE NORTHERN GATE IS CALLED LALKOTE BAGILU. ALL THE THREE LOWER FORT LINES HAVE DEEP MOATS. THE FOR WALLS ARE TALL WITH IMPRESSIVE GIGANTIC BOULDERS BEING USED IN THEM. THERE ARE ALSO REMAINS OF BARMS AND PONDS USED TO STOCK GHEE AND OIL. INSIDE THE FORT THERE ARE 14 TEMPLES. OF THESE, THE UCCHANGAMMA TEMPLE INSIDE THE LOWER FORT IS VERY IMPORTANT. THIS FORT OF THE VIJAYANAGARA TIMES (15TH CENTURY) WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE HEROIC FEUDATORY FAMILY OF THE NAYAKAS.
ON THE HILL INSIDE THE FORT ARE THE TEMPLES OF SAMPIGE SIDDESHWARA, HIDIMBESHWARA, EKNATHESHWARI, PHALGUNESHWARA, GOPALAKRISHNA AND SUBRAHMANYA.
THE LINGAS OR IMAGES OF PHALGUNESHWARA,
EKNATHESHWARI AND HIDIMBESHWARA, ARE INSTALLED IN PROJECTING ROCKS OR CAVES AND THEIR FRONTAGES HAVE NAVARANGAS AND MUKHAMANTAPAS BEAUTIFULLY BUILT. SOME OF THE TEMPLES HAVE SHIKHARAS IN CHALUKYAN STYLE. THE SIDDESHWARA AND THE HIDIMBESHWARA HAVE SHIKHARA THAT RESEMBLE FESTIVE CHARIOT (TERU) AND ARE CALLED AS BHIMANA RATHA AND HIDIMBA RATHA. THE PLACE IS DESCRIBED AS HIDIMBAVANA OF MAHABHARATHA DAYS.
THE FORT REMIND ONE OF THE HEROIC AND VARIOUS DEEDS OF THE NAYAKA RULERS, WAS CONQUERED BY HAIDER ALI IN 1779 AD., LOWER PARTS OF THE FORT WERE STRENGTHERED BY HAIDER AND TIPU. THE FORT HAS A TOTAL OF
19 MAIN GATES, 35 SMALLER ENTRANCES AND 35 SECRET INLETS, AND AMONG THE LAST NAMED ONE REMINDS THE HEROISM OF OBAVVA, A HOUSEWIFE. CHANDRAVALLI VERY NEAR TO CHITRADURGA. WAS ONE OF THE CAPITALS OF SATAVAHANAS, HAD TRADE CONTACT WITH ROME AND CHINA. THE INSCRIPTION OF KADAMBA MAYURA SHARMA IS ALSO FOUND HERE.

Temples inside the Fort:
Sampige Siddeshwara
Hidambeshwara , Ekanatheshwari , Venugopal swamy, Anjaneya swamy , etc..

Onake Obavva Kindi
Onake Obavva (warrior) she is a brave woman

She fought the forces of Hyder Ali soldier’s with pestle in the fort
She alone killed more than hundreds of soldiers trying to invade her city. Her real name was Obavva. She assassinated those soldiers with the help of a pestle (Onake) she became famous with the name of Onake Obavva.

The fort is associated with the legendary story of a warrior woman called Onake Obavva, who fought against the soldiers of Hyder Ali in 1779 CE. She killed several of them with the help of her Onake (a heavy wooden pestle) and finally sacrificed her own life for the protection of the fort.
A narrow passage near Hanchina Bagilu is believed to be the passage through which Hyder Ali's army managed to enter into the fort and at this passage Obavva single-handedly killed several soldiers till the Chitradurga army could reach the scene of the battle. Later on this passage came to be known as Onake Obavvana Kindi.

Fort visiting Timings: 7:00 am to 5:30 pm
Opens all the days.
Guides are available



Fort Entry Fee Rs.20

Places to visit near to chitradurga
Vani Vilas sagar dam, Jogimatty forest, Chandravalli lake, murugavana, adumalleshwara.

Chitradurga has a train station with direct trains from Bengaluru.
Chitradurga has bus connectivity from Bengaluru , Mysuru and other parts of Karnataka
Local commute (auto are best) taxi can be hired

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