17th November 2019.
Visit to this Gingee fort was a part of Thirumukkudal Temples Visit scheduled on 16th and 17th November 2019. We had been to the fort little earlier to take the morning photographs of Sadatullakhan Mosque and Venkataramana temple of the fort before the ASI’s Fort office opens. It was learnt that the visitors will be allowed only after 09.00 Hrs. Since the Fort will be open throughout the day, decided to come back after visiting temples at Singavaram, Nedungunam and Devikapuram. It was around 15.20 Hrs when we returned back to the Rajagiri Fort. Since we, scheduled to leave for Chennai and Erode, around 16.30 to 17.00 hrs decided to see only the ground level monuments of the Rajagiri fort. The Rajagiri Fort top and the Rani Fort will be covered in the next opportunity.
HISTORY OF GINGEE FORT.
According to the legend the Gingee or Senji obtained the name from Senji Amman, a virgin goddess of Gingee. The original fort was founded by Ananda Kon-I, the chief of Konar Community is 1200 AD and the Krishnagiri was fortified by his successor Krishna Kon around 1240AD. The other buildings and structures were raised by the successive rulers of Gingee belonging to the Vijayanagara, The Nayaka, Maratha, Mughal, Carnatic Nawabs, the French, and British during the period from 1383 to 1780 AD.
The Vijayanagar Emperor Krishna Devaraya posted Krishnappa as a Viceroy who later become the founder of the Nayaka line of Gingee. In 1677 AD Chatrapati Shivaji the great Maratha ruler had captured Gingee, It remained under the Maratha rule till about 1691AD, when the generals under the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb captured the Fort. Raja Desingh ( 1714 AD) who was a subordinate ruler under the Nawabs of Arcot become famous for his historic refusal to pay tax to his overlords. Important structures were added between 1383 to 1780AD.
RAJAGIRI FORT
The fort Rajagiri, rising to a height of 800 feet is quite inaccessible on the three sides as the rock rises from the sheer base to a great height vertically and on the fourth side a ravine/ steep raise gives a difficult access in to the fort with a wooden bridge thrown across. The fortification wall rises to a height of 25 feet built during different periods. The thickness of the wall is 5 feet built up of granite stone filled with rubbles inside. There are two gates in this fort namely Pondicherry / Puducherry gate on the east and Arcot or Delhi Gate on the north side. Rampart has barracks at intervals and guard rooms are also constructed.
During Krishnappa Nayak period this Anandagiri hill was called as Rajagiri. Kamalakanni Amman and Bala Ranganathar Temples are on the way to Rajagiri hill top. The Granary and Ranganatha temple ( added during Vijayanagara Period ), Ranganatha Bell tower, a pillard mandapa, Treasury ( an indo-saracenic Style ) and a cannon are on the top of the hill. The foot of Rajagiri fort is known as inner fort is with stepped well & Kalyana Mahal, Horse Stable, Elephant bath tank, Elephant stable, Granary with vaulted Chambers, A Magazine, Flag staff, an unusual building which served as audience hall, Gymnasium, Venugopala Swamy Temple also known as Bajanai Koodam and some excavated structures. Behind the Kalyana mahal are a series of cells which served as Barracks. The lower fort has the Venkataramana Temple, Sadathtulla Khan Mosque, A Shiva Temple, Ambal Temple,. Chettikulam, Chakkraikulam, Raja Desingu’s funeral platform, etc,. The walls of this fort were further strengthened by Marathas and several watch towers were constructed on the three hill.
RAJA DESINGH’s FUNERAL PLATFORM
On this platform measuring 5.5 meters in length and 4.25 feet in breadth located near the Chettikulam, Raja Desingu’s body ( the hero who faught gloriously with Nawab of Arcot and died on the field ) is said to have been cremated by the order of the Nawab with full honours and orthodox Hindu style.
SADATULLAKHAN MOSQUE
The Mosque was built during Mughal period faces east but its prayer hall is with seven arched doorways faces west and is oriented towards the holy city of Mecca, which lies to the west of India. There are two minarets in the northeast and southeast corner of the Mosque. It has a central square courtyard which is used by the devotees to clean their feet with water before prayer. It was built with brick and lime mortar. Above the entrances of the prayer hall there are calligraphic inscriptions in Persian and on a marble slab it is recorded that the mosque was built during 1717-1718 AD.
STEPPED TANK
The stepped tank, surrounded by the cloister mandapa is next to Kalyana mahal is of Nayak Period. This tank is within a closed compound with the entrances on north and south. The south entrance connects the Kalyana mahal and it might be used by the ladies or Royal Family who are staying in Kalyana Mahal. There is a square pillared platform in the center of the stepped tank.
KALYANA MAHAL
This kalyana mahal is the architectural treasure of this place and is the most conspious and attractive monument. The mahal consists of a large square court surrounded by rooms for the ladies of the Nayaka and in the middle of the rooms rises a square tower of seven storeys with a pyramidal roof . The plan of each storey is the same and consists of a single room of about 8 feet square, surrounded by a verandah built on arches from which very narrow and steep stairway leads both upwards and downwards. Father Pigmenta a Portuguese traveler, recorded that the Queen’s residence was called as Kalyana Mahal and it was a 7 floors structure surrounded by houses tenanted solely by women and most of the buildings inside the fort Rajagiri were destroyed by Mughals. The interesting feature in the building is a number of earthenware pipes leading even to the upper storey through which water supplied from Chakraikulam.
GYMNASIUM
It is a long hall in east-west direction constructed out of granite stone. It has vaulted roof surrounded by brick border like design. The two flights of steps on either side of the entrance, leading to the platform above., might have been constructed in latter period as one of the stone blocks has the sculpture of female placed wrongly ( horizontal position ) instead of straight position. The size of this structure is 26 metre x 9 metre. It has thick walls measuring 1.20 metre.
ELEPHANT TANK
It is located to the east of Gymnasium. It has stone steps on all sides and is surrounded by a cloister mandapa. It has a big arched entrance on it’s southwest corner. It is believed that elephants took bath in this tank. Architecturally this tank may be datable to Nayaka Period.
HORSE STABLE
This is an Indo-Islamic structure having 110 cells to accommodate horses. The structure is built of brick and lime mortar having an arched entrance for every cell. This horse stable might have been used for keeping the horses of royal members of the palace. Horse stable was an important aspect during Mughal period. The Mughals gave care and importance to their horses and they imported good horses from other countries. To maintain the horses in healthy condition horse stables were constructed in elaborate manner. The rulers of Vijayanagara, Nayaks and Maratha used the mandapa near the Gymnasium as horse and elephant stable.
GRANARY
The Granary was built by Krishnappa Nayaka and is the biggest granary of this Gingee fort. The storing capacity of this Granary is 150000 Kalam of grains. The outer wall of the granary is built of granite stones and is positioned in to four rooms having vaulted roof. The centre room is a long hall having three flights of steps leading to north, south and west sides connecting to other three long rooms. Two rooms on either side of the main room face east-west direction and the third one is in north-south direction. There are two flights of steps leading to terrace of the granary. The size of the granary is 32 metre x 29 metre.
VENKATRAMANA TEMPLE
Venkatramana Temple was built by Muthiyalu Nayaka ( 1540- 1550AD). The temple is facing east with a 7 tier Rajagopura with a Deepa sthamba. The Temple complex consists of Sanctum sanctorum, arthamandapa, a mukha mandapa surrounded with prakara. There are mandapas out side the temple and inside the temple. The Utsava mandapa, Kalyana mandapa are inside the temple. The temple was elaborately constructed and pillars are carved with floral designs and sculptures depicting the Vishnu mythology. Some of them are Lakshmi Narasimha, Anjaneya etc,. The inner entrance walls of the Rajagopuram has various sculptures like Gajalakshmi, Brahma, Vishnu, Lord Shiva worshiped by the devotees and saints. Churning of milk ocean, Lord Shiva with Parvati sitting kailash worshiped by Devotees and saints, Dhasavathara scene, Ranganatha, Venugopala etc,. When the ASI took over there was no deity inside the temple. An inscription found on the wall of this temple record the grant given by Achuta Vijaya Ramachandra Nayaka. The temple was known as Thiruvenkata mudaiyan. Some of the monolithic Pillars were taken away from this temple to Pondicherry / Puducherry during French occupation. The same pillars are installed around the Dupleix statue, the Governor at Pondicherry in 1761AD.
ANJANEYAR TEMPLE
This Anjaneyar is in the form of a bas-relief carved on a boulder. Later a mandapam was built around the boulder. Since Vijayanagar Nayaks are ardent followers of Vishnu and Anjaneyar this bas-relief was carved during their period.
EKAMBARESWARAR SHIVA TEMPLE
This Shiva temple is on the way to the Gingee fort from Main road. The Shiva temple is facing west and Ambal sannadhi is facing South. The Shiva’s shrine is built with pathabndha adhisthana, The Shrine consists of sanctum and arthamandapam. The sanctum walls koshtas are empty and in thorana squatting lions are carved. The prakaram is common for Shiva and Ambal’s sannadhi and the roof stones are missing many places.
NOTE TO THE VISITORS:
This monument Gingee fort will be kept opened between 09.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs. Entry tickets will be issued from 09.00 hrs to 16.30 hrs. Entry is restricted after 16.30 hrs. Climbing of the hill will be stopped after 15.00 hrs. The entry ticket costs Rs 25 for Indian Citizens and Rs 300 for the foreigners.
Photography with stand, commercial purposes and Video may be taken after getting permission from ASI on payment of Rs 10000.00
HOW TO REACH:
About 2 KM from Gingee Town.
Gingee is on the way to Thiruvannamali from Tindivanam.
Nearest Railway station are Tindivanam and Villupuram more or less having same distance of 27 KM.
LOCATION: CLICK HERE
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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