Khammam Fort

Khammam Fort is a hill fort with more than a thousand years of history, said to date from the Kakatiya period; old inscriptions call the place Khammamettu. Its foundation stone was laid in 950 CE. Tradition says three Velugumatla farmers named Ranga, Laxma and Velma Reddy found treasure in their fields and, with Kakatiya permission, used it to build the fort, first in mud and later in granite. The tank Laxma Reddy dug became the Lakaram Cheruvu. The fort was completed in 1006.

The Reddy dynasty held it for about 300 years, followed by Velama and other local dynasties. In the 15th century Sitapati Raju, known by the title Shitab Khan, ruled from here and tried to revive a Telugu kingdom; he is said to have buried images of Shiva, Vishnu and Surya to protect them, and these were later dug up and kept near the Ganapeshwara Temple. Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk defeated him in 1531 and brought the fort under Qutb Shahi rule.