Information on Gandikota Fort (Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh) - History & Architecture

Gandikota Fort is a historic hilltop fort found in Kadapa. It is a 13th century built defensive fortress by the Kapa clans. This fort is of highly significant in religious values for having the two Temples and a Masjid built inside this fort area. These worship places do celebrate annual festivals here, which gathers it's local and tourist peoples. It is located near Gandi Village, Jammalamadugu, Kadapa, District in Andhra Pradesh of India.

Gandikota Fort Architecture

Gandikota Fort is a combination of Islamic and Dravidian architectural style. The location of this fortress is most important to know. Since it was a defensive fort for the protection meant for Telugu peoples of this area. It is built over a hill top bordered by a river, a dense forest cover a Great George and Canyons. The Georges and the river was the main means of water supply and for local transportation activity. The dense forest cover acted as a natural protector from the invaders from the northern rulers. Its canyons acted as a natural trench. The entire structure is built with granite stones. It has the shining Kadap stones, laid on its interior works as slabs and for pedestal. This is also found on the arched pillar areas. These are well bonded with mortars. This is a large fortified area with two temples, one mashid and many other small and medium structures built inside this fortress. The two temples built here are very attractive for its stone works. These temples have the single stone carved idols of Madhava god and the Ranganathan swamy statue. This temple has an obelisk towers with beautiful miniature works on the stones. The masjid found here has is built purely in Islamic style. It had two beautiful towers on its top. This is a spacious masjid in this area. The other small structures found here are totally made of stones and woods. This fort is armed with large cannon and it has a specially built magazine store room. A beautiful pillared open verandah is here built for the travelers. This is a unique carved pillar in the Hindu style. There are many small complexes found here, these were used as granary and for bastion purposes. This fort was the only garrison area for the kadappa region.

Gandikota Fort History

Gandikota Fort is also known as the George Fort. The meaning of Gandhi in Telugu means the George. The Kota is meant for the Fort. An annual temple festival is conducted here, this attracts many people in that seasons. The Kadapa Raja's built this fort to safe guard the Hindu Telugu speaking classes here. This area was known to be the first users of Telugu language from the ancient times. This fortress once honored and accommodated the renounced Telugu poet named Vemana, he was a great scholar in the literary field of that times. This is the only fortification and a massive structure built on the Erramla hills, which was in a remote area. This remoteness and the massive fortification gave a longer protection from the Shahi rulers of Hyderabad, the Vijaya Nagara kingdom and the northern Mughal rulers who tried to occupy the entire Andhra region into their province. In the 13th century this fort accommodated a foreign guest named Tavernier, who was France traveler and was very much impressed by its craftsmanship of the entire fort structure.

Gandikota Fort Tourism Importance

Gandikota Fort is a rear remote fort area surrounded with natural cannons, rivers and dense forest areas. The view from the top of the fort is a breath taking experience for its scenic natural beauty. This is a protected monument and a heritage site of tourist importance.