Chandragiri Fort - History and Who built it
Chandragiri is a zone in Chittoor district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. There is a fort built in 1640. Chandragiri is the birthplace of Mahamantri Thimmarusu, who was in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya. It is also known as the Chandragiri Fort as the fort is built at the foot of a crescent shaped hill. According to the museum, the fort was built on the side of the hill so that the defence of the fort could be lowered towards the hillside and it was easy to observe the movements of the enemy from a distance. The fort is surrounded by a solid wall for about a kilometre. The size of the stones used to build this wall is very large. It is said to have been built with the help of elephants. This wall is still intact with wood between the bushes. There is a large moat on the outside following this wall. The present is buried, but in those days it was a week of raising crocodiles.
Chandragiri
holds a prominent place in the history of the Vijayanagara kings.
Krishnadevaraya used to stay here when he visited Tirumala. Achyutadevaraya was
placed under house arrest here.
After the fall
of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1585 and the complete overthrow of Vijayanagara
by the Deccan Muslim Kings, the Vijayanagara emperors shifted their kingdom to
Penukonda for a few years. After Penukonda it shifted to Chandragiri for
another few years.
It was from
this fort that Venkata Rayalu, the last Vijayanagara king to rule from
Chandragiri, and his vassal Damerla Chennappa leader Francis Day, who joined
the British East India Company on August 22, 1639, were allowed to build a fort
at Chennapatnam. Documents from that day can still be seen in the museum.
A military base
was built on the top of the hill. It is known from the information in the fort
museum that they built two ponds at the top and pumped water from the big pond
below to meet their needs.
The Rani Mahal
has two floors and the Raja Mahal has three floors. The Rani Mahal was badly
damaged. Rani Mahal is now known as Rani Mahal but due to its architecture it
is written on the board that it could be a stable
It was repaired
to some extent after it came under the control of the Archaeological
Department. A short distance behind the Rani Mahal, the fort has a well for
water needs. It is from this that the people who supply water for the innermost
needs are informed. Not far from the well is a small pavilion with four rings
on the surface with six pillars for hanging executed prisoners.
The first floor
of the palace was converted into a museum. The rest of the sculptures were
destroyed by the Muslim rulers and the inscriptions depicting the glory of
Chandragiri. On the second floor you can see the scene of the then court or assembly
with thrones.
On the third
floor, the then model of the fort and the way of life of the people are
displayed. On the same floor are the rooms of the nobles. Most of the
dilapidated temples have been abandoned and some of the beautiful Rani Mahals
and Rajmahals, the pond behind them, etc. have been repaired and some gardens
have been planted to make it pleasant for visitors.
Chandragiri fort Entrance Fee and Sound - Light Show Fare details
The empty space
behind the palace is transformed into a large open-air theatre with a visual
sound and lighting show. There is a normal fee of Rs. 45 / - for this show.
This exhibition
illustrates how the Penukonda and Chandragiri principalities were destroyed through
light and sound as if blindfolded. The show is available in Telugu and English.
The commentary in English can be heard in the voice of Amitabh Bachchan.
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.