Chitradurga Fort - A Picturesque Fort of Karnataka

Though it has been long abandoned and many of its buildings lie in ruins, Chitradurga Fort in Chitradurga district deserves some attention for the tourists travelling between Hampi and Bangalore / Hassan. There are inscriptions linking this fort with the Maurya Dynasty of 300 B.C. This fort was built and expanded by different rulers such as Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas from 10th to 18th century. The fort has 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, 35 secret entrances, 4 invisible passages, water tanks, and 2000 watch towers to give a brief of excitement for the readers.

The most striking feature of this fort is that it has 7 walls, all in circles, starting from the ground level right up to the hill. The total length of the fort walls is about 8 kilometers and covers an area of 1500 acres. The first level is with the town which is often missed by the tourists. The second and the third level are the common ways to enter the fort. The entrance has a beautifully carved snake inscription which surely threatens the visitors as real. It is a preface of the fort, which makes us slither to move ahead. None of the entrances are straight, which makes the enemy impregnable. Depending on the topography, the fort walls were built with heights ranging from 16 to 40 feet. Initially, it was built in mud and was subsequently strengthened with granite stone slabs with strong stones with spy holes in some points as a watch out.

There are some intact grind wheels made of stone which were used to prepare gunpowder. Rainwater-harvesting structures were built in a cascade development. Some 18 temples were built at the top of the fort dedicated to Hidimbeswara, Siddeshwara, Ekanathamma, Phalguneshwara, Gopala Krishna, Hanuman etc. The fort is also good for rock climbing adventure. There are few cuts grooved in the rock with no handrails around. Though it is extremely steep, it is easy to climb. A visit to this fort will leave the tourists with several unanswered questions about the engineering knowledge of the ancestors.