Konda Reddy Fort,
also known as Kondareddy Buruju
is a fort situated in the city of
Kurnool
Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema". Kurnool is also famous for Diamond hunting as diamonds ca ...
in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. At a distance of 2 km from Kurnool Railway Station, 2.9 km from Kurnool New Bus Stand and 24 km from Alampur, Konda Reddy fort is an imposing structure situated in the heart of Kurnool City. The monument, a semi-circular bastion crowned with a tower, is the only extant remains of an old fortification around the city.
History
The construction of the fort dates back to the 12th century when the city of Kurnool was used as a base on Tungabhadra river crossing. Kurnool was reigned by Vijayanagara Emperors
Devaraya II and
Achyutaraya who succeeded
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
built the initial fort between 1530 and 1542.
The fort has different gateways and bastions. The gateways of the fort were constructed by Gopala Raja, the grandson of
Rama Raya in the 17th century.
The fort is named after Konda Reddy, the last ruler of Alampur who was imprisoned in the fort by the Kurnool Nawab in the 17th century. Locals and legend state that Konda Reddy was under attack, and used the tunnels that the fort housed to escape. Konda Reddy eventually escaped from the fort, but had to lose his territory to Golconda Nawabs. The tunnels are now locked and closed off from the public, but the fort is open to touring. The citadel has been restored in recent years and is quite Popular with couples and the younger residents of the city.
Description
The fort has three levels and it was used as watch tower in 17th and 18th centuries. The ground level is closed for visitors, while the visitors can climb to the first and second floors and get a glimpse of the history. First level has few enclosures with large portico. Second-level houses a large tower used for observation.
References
{{Forts in Andhra Pradesh
Forts in Andhra Pradesh