Chitraduraga fort, Chitradurga

Chitradurga fort or Chitaldoorg is a historical fort that occupies several hills and a peak with a open view of a flat valley. The fort name Chitrakaladurga means picture perfect fort  in Kannada. The fort was built in stages between the 11th & 13th centuries by the rulers of the region including Chalukyas and Hoysalas along with Vijayanagar empire. It was built in a series of seven concentric(circular & enclosed) walls.There are 18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. Among these temples, the oldest temple is Hidimbeshwara temple. There is also a Masjid which was added during Hyder Ali's rule.

History

There are inscriptions (scripts on stone) of Chalukyas, Housalas and Vijayangar kings in and around the fort.  These scripts are indications of the fort history found near Brahmagiri. The area where the fort exists achieved importance only under the rule of Nayakas of Chitradurga or "Paleygars" (called "little kings") as a subordinate ruler of Vijayanagara empire.

Between 1500 AD and 1800 AD Chitradurga fort witnessed a unstable history starting with Vijayanagar empire which gained control of this region from Hoysalas.  In the 4th Mysore war, Tipu Sultan was killed by the British in 1799 and the Mysore Kingdom was organized again under the Wodeyars. The British considered Chitradurga fort a potentially useful base for providing a strong line of defense to Mysore's northern border.

How To Reach

Chitradurga bus stand is 1.5 KM away from this fort. Chitradurga railway station is 2.6 KM far from this fort. You can reach the fort by taking a auto or a local taxi from the bus stand or railway station.