Chitradurga Fort

Chitradurga Fort, called Chitaldoorg by the British, spreads across a cluster of hills and a peak above a flat valley of the Vedavati River in Karnataka. Its Kannada name means 'picturesque fort'. Built in stages from the 11th to 13th centuries under rulers including the Chalukyas and Hoysalas, it was greatly expanded between the 15th and 18th centuries by the Nayakas of Chitradurga, first feudatories of Vijayanagara and later independent. Hyder Ali took it in 1779 after defeating Madakari Nayaka V, and British troops were garrisoned here from 1799 to 1809. The bravery of Onake Obavva, a soldier's wife, during one of the sieges became legend.

Seven concentric rings of walls enclose the seven hills, which reach 976 metres and are made of ancient granite, with huge boulders throughout. Inside are passages, a citadel, granaries and oil stores, water reservoirs, a mosque added under Hyder Ali and 18 temples in the upper fort, the oldest being the Hidimbeshwara temple. A large temple stands in the lower fort.