Gooty Fort

Gooty Fort Latest News

After review, the Union Ministry of Communications and Department of Posts recently forwarded the proposal for a commemorative postage stamp on Gooty Fortit to the Union Minister of Communications for final approval.

About Gooty Fort

• Gooty Fort, also known as Ravadurg and Gutti Kota, is an ancient hilltop fortress located in the town of Gooty in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. 

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Gooty Fort History

• Inscriptions found here appear to be from the reign of the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI Tribhuvanamalla (1076 CE – 1126 CE). 
• It was also the site of a major battle between the Western Chalukyas and the Cholas under Vira Rajendra (1063 CE – 1070 CE) when the latter laid siege to the fort. 
• The defenders fought well and hard and beat back the Cholas. 
• 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. 

Gooty Fort Architecture

• It is a blend of Hindu-Islamic architecture.  
• It was made of granite rocks, and the domes were constructed with fine stone, mortar, and lime, ensuring sustainability. 
• Built in the shape of a shell, this fort actually comprises 15 small forts with different gateways. 
• The outer wall with bastions connects all the gateways of smaller forts. 
• The fort also features two imposing buildings, one of which is a gymnasium, while other is a barrack. 
• On the edge of the cliff, there is a pavilion of polished limestone called Morari Rao’s seat.
• Various wells were created at the top of the hill. 
• There are several temples within the fort, like the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nageswara Swami Temple, Hanuman Temple, Jyothimma Temple, and the Ramaswamy Temple. 
• There is also a Dargah inside the fortification. 
• There are several ruined structures on the upper level of the fort.

News: HANS