Chitradurga Fort, also known as the ‘Fort of Seven Rounds’, is situated at
Chitradurga, an old town about 200 km from
Bangalore, in
Karnataka. It is about 290 km south of
Hospet on the
Bangalore-Hospet road. The fort, with its 19 gateways and 38 postern entrances, has been regarded as a military marvel. In fact the city of Chitradurga derives its name after this fort.
Chitradurga Fort was built in the 17th century by the Nayak Paleyagars, the wealthy semi-independent landlords who fled south after the collapse of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1565. The fort was later conquered by Hyder Ali who rebuilt the mud fort with stone. A mosque, palace, oil pits and granaries were added to it during the rule of Tipu Sultan. This hill fort also houses the temples of the Sampige Siddheshwara, Hidimbeshwara Temple, Phalguneshwara, Ekanathamma and Gopalakrishna.
The fort covers about 300 acres and the total length of the fort is 8 km. According to the official records, the fort has 50 wear-houses, 19 gateways, 28 postern gates, 35 secret entrances and four invisible entrances.
Bangalore International Airport is the nearest airport. Regular buses connect Chitradurga with other city centers in the state.
