Once the capital of Vijayanagara Empire, Chandragiri is situated at a distance of about 54kms from Chittoor town. This fort is tactically located over the top of a small hill about 183m high. The strong walls stand erect to the southern side of the fort, enclosing the hill. There is also a ditch surrounding the fort so as to prevent any intruder from entering in. The remains of the lower fort cont
ains two palaces, the lower portion of which is built in stone and the upper with brick. This lighting system makes the fort look even more beautiful and is eye-catching during night time. The modern town of Chandragiri lies to the east of the hill on which the fort stands. The main building is called as Raja Mahal which is an impressive three storied structure with arched façade, crowned with Hindu style of architecture. This majestic building in the fort premises, with colourful lighting, enhances the beauty of this place. It stands as an excellent example of the Indo-Saracenic architecture. The central durbar has occupied two storeys and is crowned by Dravida-Vimana. The roofs are supported by massive pillars in groups carrying cross arches with strong square ceilings which are decorated with stucco figurines. The entire fort is constructed using stone and brick in mortar and is well plastered. The entrance of this Mahal faces the hill on the north while the balconies and windows on the south overlooking the extensive grounds where perhaps the troops paraded. As you explore more and more, you’ll discover and feel the royal lifestyle of our kings in the past. HISTORY :
This fort is believed to have been built by Immadi Narasimha Yadavaraya, a Karvetinagara chieftain of Narayanavaram. Overtime, there was a lot of improvement made to make it more elegant and beautiful. It was considerably improved by the Vijayanagara rulers of the Saluva Dynasty. After the battle of “Tali kota” in 1565, the capital of Vijayanagar empire was shifted from Hampi to Penukonda in 1567. Later in 1592, Chandragiri became the third capital of the declining Vijayanagar empire. The fort was surrendered to Hyder Ali in 1782 and came under the control of Mysore till the treaty of Sreerangapatnam in 1792. It then came under the British rule. It is also said that in 1639 AD, the original documents, relating to the grant of the Saint George fort’s site to the British East India Company, was signed here
LOCAL INFORMATION:
There are two sound and light shows in the fort premises in the regional language as well as in English. The first show in regional language Telugu begins at 6:30pm and continues till 7:15pm from November to February, and at 7:00pm to 7:45pm in the month of March to October. This is followed by a show in English at 7:30pm to 8:15pm from November to February and 8:00pm to 8:45pm from March to October.
