Historical PlaceFort

Madakasira Fort

Hill fort at Madakasira founded in 1492, fought over by Murari Rao and Hyder Ali, with seven gates and hilltop temples

Photo: Gopakumar V R · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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01 — The story

Madakasira Fort, also known as Simhagiri, stands on a hill in Madakasira town in Sri Sathya Sai district and is a Monument of National Importance. According to local records, Siruda Rangappa Nayaka founded the village in 1492 and built a small fort on the hill. It later passed between local chiefs under Vijayanagara and Bijapur, and in 1746 the Maratha adventurer Murari Rao of Gooty brought it under his sway. In 1762 Hyder Ali of Mysore took it after a four-day siege with Portuguese help; after Murari Rao briefly regained it, Hyder Ali retook it, and in 1792 the area went to the Nizam, who passed it to the British in 1800.

The fort has seven gates and several caves. Murari Rao built temples, the Hinduraya well and a hilltop pavilion called Singe-moothi, 'lion's face', with four pillars and a big bell. On the summit are also the Rani Mahal palace, a horse shed, a gym and food stores, and a Ramalingeswara temple stands near the top beside two ponds.

Unmapia

02 — About

Coming soon

We’re still writing about Madakasira Fort: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.