Name: Anantapur
Rating: 3.1

Gooty Fort, Anantapur Overview

Situated 300 meters above the ground level, Gooty Fort is one of the oldest hill forts in the state and also the country, having witnessed centuries of different rulers, empires and regimes. The name Gooty is derived from the town's previous original name, Gowthampuri.

Having been designated as a monument of national importance, Gooty Fort is now a famous attraction alluring visitors owing to its enchanting atmosphere filled with historic ruins and tranquil vistas.

The magnificent Gooty fort has been the stronghold of the Chalukyas, Mughals, Marathas, East India Company and also the Vijayanagara Empire before the Qutb Shahi dynasty took over. It is well mentioned as the 'King of Forts' according to various historical inscriptions found here.

The mammoth Gooty Hill covers a vast area is surrounded by the town on three sides and the westernmost point housing the citadel of the fort. The ruins of the fort are dotted by numerous different buildings and spaces such as granaries, bastions, gunpowder magazine, ramparts, storerooms and temples.

History of Gooty Fort

Gooty fort possesses various damaged inscriptions that appear to be from the times of the Western Chalukya Empire, under the rule of Vikramaditya VI. The area later was taken over by the Vijayanagar empire and once was the abode of one of the most powerful Hindu rulers of all time, Krishnadevaraya. The Qutb Shahi dynasty succeeded the Vijayanagar empire and subsequently fell into the hands of the Mughals when their capital of Golconda was annexed.

In the 18th century, the Maratha general Murari Rao captured the fort area and revamped the structure to strengthen it. Hyder Ali, the then ruler of the Mysore kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan, forced Murari Rao to surrender when he ran out of water supplies. With the onset of the British invasion of India, the important fort fell into the hands of the British East India Company.

Architecture of Gooty Fort

Gooty fort is a mix of Hindu-Muslim architecture, structured in the shape of a shell and covering an area of approximately 20 acres. It comprises of 15 different fort buildings each with its own gateway. Built out of granite, lime and mortar, the ruined structure has withstood the test of time. The vast enclosure is a massive fort complex, housing a series of buildings ranging from granaries to bastions to magazines that have seen centuries of bombardment, sieges and wars burdened upon them.

The ramshackle memoirs of horse and elephant stables, courtrooms, storerooms, gymnasiums etc., are still present here. The citadel of the fort is present on the westernmost hill, which now houses two buildings - a granary and a gunpowder magazine, both of which are in ruins. Just adjacent to it lies a 300-meter high cliff, with a space made out of polished limestone. The vantage point called Murari Rao's seat provides a picturesque sight of the town below and uninterrupted views over the horizon.

There are a few temples in the Gooty Fort premises and the ruined Narasimha temple present on top of the hill is said to be the oldest temple in the complex. Numerous inscriptions have been found on the premises that date back to more than a thousand years, with Kannada and Sanskrit dialects. The inscription of the Vijayanagar king, Bukka Raya I, mentions the fort as the King of Forts. There are also evidence of rainwater harvesting being carried out in the fort enclosure!

Best Time To Visit Gooty Fort

The fort site is visited by tourists and history enthusiasts throughout the year, but it would be inconvenient to proceed here during the summer months (between April and June) as they are sweltering hot.

Tips For Visiting Gooty Fort

1. Visiting this fort requires physical strength as it is a walk uphill across rocky terrain.
2. Carry adequate amounts of water when travelling here.

How To Reach Gooty Fort

Gooty is well connected by roadways to major towns nearby such as Anantapur (52 kilometres), Ballari in Karnataka (82 kilometres), Kurnool (95 kilometres). The Bangalore-Hyderabad highway (National Highway 7) connects both the major cities in the north-south direction, both the cities being equidistant at 300 kilometres. State-owned and private buses also operate from these places.

The Gooty railway junction is a major passing point for many important trains such as the Chennai Express, Rayalseema Superfast Express, Kacheguda Express, Karnataka Express etc.