Chitradurga Fort (Elu Suttina Kote/Kallina Kote )

Chitradurga Fort 

(Elu Suttina Kote/Kallina Kote )

       I had been planning a trek/trip to Chitradurga Fort for almost a decade. While during the Geological Survey of India Training I had an opportunity to visit along with colleagues of my Dept and Kerala counterparts. My friend Srinivas, Geologist being the localite of the Durga who took special interest backs us & planned the entire trip. Out of the 21 trainees’ only few were agreed to our invitation for the trek.

Naagarahaavu or King Cobra is welcomes to the Fort

         

Chitradurga, a historical town is 200 kms away from Bangalore  . Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found here. Chitradurga is recognized as the land of courage and chivalry and Chitradurga is remembered for  the historical witness of Legend of Onake Obavva who had fought the soldiers of Hyder Ali's army to protect Chitradurga fort. It comprises a series of seven enclosure walls. Eighteen ancient temples can be found inside the fort. This seemingly impregnable fort has 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, a palace, a mosque, granaries, oil pits, four secret paths and water tanks. 

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         The Fort was built in stages between the 10th and 18th centuries by the dynastic rulers of the region, including the Rashtrakutas ,Chalukyas and Hoysalas as well as the Nayaka Dynasty, feudal lords in the Empires of Vjayanagara. The Nayakas of Chitradurga, or Palegar Nayakas, were most responsible for the expansion of the fort between the 15th and 18th centuries.

I.Gelogists in front of the Kote

I.In front of the Kote with Srinivas and P K Naik ,Geologists

Geology:

Chitradurga is located in the heart of the Deccan Plateau and Geologically is a part of major part of the fort and the city rest, belong to the oldest rock of granitic formation. Chitradurga lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, with the Tungabhadra River flowing in the northwest. Features of massive rock hills and scenic valleys, huge towering boulders are seen in the fort precincts. The highest hill peak of the area is located at Jogi Matti to the south of Chitradurga. The highest elevation of the hills at the fort is 976 metres. 

Water Harvesting :-

      One of the important and interesting thing I noticed in the Chitradurga Fort/ Elu Suttina Kote is many series of interconnecting tanks were constructed which was used to harvest the rain water, and the fort was said to never suffer from a water shortage. These are the lesson for us and this is the prime way to improve the Groundwater levels, so we should adopt this method by rejuvenate/desilt/repair the Existing Tanks, wells.
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This is one of the rain water harvesting tank

Kalyani/Tank for Storying the Rain water

Series of Tanks Inside the Fort

          Chitradurga Fort  also called Elu Suttina Kote/Kallina Kote in Kannada is the prime attraction of Chitradurga and is declared a national monument by Archaeological Survey of India. The fort built around a rocky hill, was believed to be impregnable with seven lines of concentric ramparts with one of them representing Indo-Saracenic architecture. Chitradurga was under the rule of great dynasties like the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas, Vijayanagar and later Hyder Ali. But it experienced a historical importance under the dynastic rule of the Nayakas or "Paleyagars", known for their heroic exploits. The most eminent of the feudatory chieftains, was Madakari Nayaka, who after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire, declared his suzerainty and consolidated his power.

                               
    

                             Indo-Saracenic Type Entrance in the fort

        There are nearly18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. Some  of the  prime attractions inside the fort are - Ekanatheshwari Temple, Hidimbeshwara Temple, Jodu Batheri & Jhanda Batheri (flag posts), mint & office of paleygaras, Muruga Matha, Gaali Gopuras, Thuppada Kola (pond of ghee) Onake Obbavva Kindi, Barns & ponds, Sampige Siddheshwara Temple, Gopalaswamy Temple,Bombe Mantapa, Akka Thangiyara Kola and so on.

Gaali Gopuras

Murugha Rajendra Bruhanmatha :

The first Murugha Rajendra Mutta at Chitradurga was built on the Chinmuladri hills by Palegar Bichugatti Bharamanna Nayaka for Guru Shanthaveera Swamiji of the 8th Pontiff of Murugha tradition. Later it was shifted to the present mutt in 1703 AD which is situated at the left side of Chitradurga - Davanagere road near M.K. Hatti. Now the 27th Pontiff of the order Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Rajendra Sharanaru presides over the mutt. The mutt is engaged in propagating Basavadharma. The Murugha Vana in the premises of the mutt is a beautiful botanical garden.

Muruga Math

Ekanatheshwari Temple 

Brave woman- Obavva and Onake Obavvana Kindi:-

             Onake Obavvana Kindi is one of he prime attraction and historical witness in the Fort.

uring the rule of Madakari Naayaka, the Chitradurga city was besieged by the troops of Haider Ali. A chance sighting of a woman entering the fort through a crack in the rocks led to a clever plan by Hyder Ali to send his soldiers through the passage (kindi). The guard on duty had just gone home for his lunch break and his wife Obavva was his temporary replacement. Noticing the soldiers emerging out of this crack, Obavva was not perturbed. Using the Onake (wooden stick used for pounding grain) she killed and quietly moved the dead, so that hundreds of them entered and fell dead. The guard, Obavva's husband was shocked, when he returned from his lunch break. His wife was standing there with a blood stained Onake and strewn around her were the bodies of soldiers. 

Madakari Naayaka Stone House

On the top of the Hill:-

The final part of the trek included a climb to the top of the fort- Yenne Kola. While trekking one can relish the pure breezing strong/powerful air and silence of wilderness. I climbing up and down like crawl in which I held on to dear life on one hand and my sneakers on the other. Nine of the trainees backed out even before we got started and only 3 were gone up and arguably missed the amazing 360 degree view from above. Its unforgettable  heart stop moment.Its nice experiance standing at/on the highest elevation of the hill (appro 976 metres). 

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'Maddu Bisuva Kallu'/ "Gun Powder Grinding stone”

Rock resembling a frog

Rock resembling a ship

Rock resembling Elephant

Jyothi Raj alias Kothi Raj performing at Chitradurga Fort:

Apart from its historic importance, Chitradurga fort is an amazing trekking and rock-climbing destination to spots like Tuppada kola. I think its dream place one of the lesser known places; one has to visit this place in his life. Chitradurga is around 230 kms from Bangalore and it takes about 3.5 kms in a car and would take 5 hrs in buses along NH-4.


M. Viswanath, Geologist.