Elgandal Fort is situated amidst palm groves on the banks of the Manair River (a tributary of the

Godavari River The Godavari (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganges River, Ganga River and drains the third largest Drainage basin, basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. It ...

), approximately from

Karimnagar Karimnagar, also informally known as Elagandula, is a city and District Headquarters in the Indian state of Telangana. Karimnagar is a major urban agglomeration in the state. It is third largest City in the state and Municipal Corporation and i ...

on the Sircilla Road in the Indian state of Telangana. It was once under the control of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

, and the

Nizams of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...

. During the Nizam era it was the headquarters of Karimnagar. It is believed that a secret tunnel connects Elgandal Fort and Manakondur some from Karimnagar on the Karimnagar-Vemulawada highway.

History

Originally known as Veligundula, Elgandal is a hillfort built of during the

Kakatiya dynasty The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...

(1083–1323) and served as a stronghold for the warrior

Musunuri Nayaks The Musunuri Nayakas were a prominent Telugu Hindu warrior dynasty that rose to power in the 14th century in the Deccan region following the fall of the Kakatiya Empire to the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE. They originated from the region of ...

. The

Qutb Shahi dynasty The Sultanate of Golconda (; ) was an early modern kingdom in southern India, ruled by the Persianate, Shia Islamic Qutb Shahi dynasty of Turkoman origin. After the decline of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Sultanate of Golconda was established ...

occupied the fort in the 16th century and posted Quinamul Mulk as commander. Subsequently, it fell under the administrative control of the

. Amin Khan was appointed as Khiledar of Elagandal during the reign of

Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...

Asaf Jah I Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi (11 August 16711 June 1748) also known as Chin Qilich Qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah and Nizam I, was the first Nizam of Hyderabad. He began his career during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, w ...

(r. 1724–1748) followed by Muqarrab Khan. Mirza Ibrahim dhamsa became Khiledar during the reign of Nawab

Salabat Jung Salabat Jung, born as Mir Sa'id Muhammad Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi on 24 November 1718, was the fourth Nizam of Hyderabad State. He was the third son of Asaf Jah I. During the Second Carnatic War he was a prisoner, first in Nasir Jung's camp a ...

. Dhamsa rebuilt and strengthened the fort in 1754 during the reign of

Sikandar Jah Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III (11 November 1768 – 21 May 1829), was the 3rd Nizam of Hyderabad, India from 1803 to 1829. He was born in Chowmahalla Palace in the Khilwath, the second son of Asaf Jah II and Tahniat un-nisa Begum. Family ;Consor ...

(r.1803-1823). Bahadur Khan and Karimuddin served as Khiledars. While reorganizing the districts, the Sixth Nizam,

Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Asaf Jah VI, also known as Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi (17 August 1866 – 29 August 1911), was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad State, one of the princely states of India, between 1869 and 1911. Early life Mahboob Al ...

, shifted the District Headquarters from Elagandal to Karimnagar in 1905. Elgandal's rulers surrounded the fort with a crocodile filled moat of around wide and deep to prevent enemy incursions. The site also houses a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and an

eidgah Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah ( "site of Eid bservances; ; ; ; ) is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at the outskirts) reserved for Eid prayers offered in the morning ...

, the designated place for special Eid prayers.

Notable sites

Elagndal village is located 15 km from Karimnagar. This is a historical place. The places to visit in Elagandal village include * The fort on a hill called as Elagandal khilla * Brindavan tank outside the eastern gateway of the fort, built by Zafar-ud-Doula in 1754, with minarets that oscillate when shaken * "Dho Minar" DoMinar built by Muslim kings (Nizams), has two tall pillars and the height of the pillars is approximately equal to that of Hyderabad

Charminar The Charminar () is a monument located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Constructed in 1591, the landmark is a symbol of Hyderabad and officially incorporated in the emblem of Telangana. The Charminar's long history includes the existence of a m ...

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20080206122935/http://www.elgandal.com/
IndianNGOs.com

article. {{Forts in Telangana Forts in Telangana

History

Notable sites

See also

References

External links