Chitradurga Fort

Chitradurga Fort
Karnataka, India
One of the seven layers of Chitradurga fort
Chitradurga Fort Show map of India Chitradurga Fort Show map of Karnataka
Coordinates	14°12′55″N 76°23′43″E / 14.2152°N 76.3953°E / 14.2152; 76.3953
Type	Fort
Site information
Controlled by	Government of Karnataka
Open to the public	Yes
Site history
Built	13-16th century
Built by	Chalukyas
Materials	Granite stones
Battles/wars	Nayakas against Hyder Ali in 1760s, 1770s and 1799

Chitradurga Fort, or as the British called it Chitaldoorg,^[1] is a fortification that straddles several hills and a peak overlooking a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort's name Chitrakaldurga, which means 'picturesque fort' in Kannada, is the namesake of the town Chitradurga and its administrative district.^[2][3][4]

The fort was built in stages between the 11th and 13th centuries by the dynastic rulers of the region, including the Chalukyas and Hoysalas, later the Nayakas of Chitradurga of the Vijayanagar Empire.^[5] The Nayakas of Chitradurga, or Palegar Nayakas, were most responsible for the expansion of the fort between the 15th and 18th centuries. The fort was taken over for a short while by Hyder Ali at Chitradurga in 1779. The fort was captured by the British forces twenty years later, when they defeated his son Tipu Sultan.^[5] The fort is built in a series of seven concentric fortification walls with various passages, a citadel, masjid, warehouses for grains and oil, water reservoirs and ancient temples. There are 18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. Among these temples, the oldest and most interesting is the Hidimbeshwara temple. The masjid was an addition during Hyder Ali's rule.^[2][3][4] The fort's many interconnecting tanks were used to harvest rainwater, and the fort was said to never suffer from a water shortage.^{[citation needed]}