Andhra Pradesh Magazine English May 2016 | Page 31

G

ooty Fort in Anantapur district
is one of the neglected but important historical monuments
in Andhra Pradesh.

About gooty fort

The Gooty fort is around 50 Kms from
Anantapur, situated at a height of 300
meters above the sea level in Gooty
(Gutti). The fort was built during the
Chalukyan times. Major part of this fort
was fortified and strengthened during
the Vijayanagara era. The Fort has been
granted the title of 'World Heritage Site'
by UNESCO. The exact construction
date of the fort is not known, according
to the historical records the earliest inscriptions found in the structure date
back to the 7th century. The fort was
captured by Mir Jumla and then came
under the sway of Qutub Shahi chiefs.
In 1773, it was captured by Haider Ali &
Tippu Sultan and later fell into the
British hands. About 10 Km away from
Gooty Fort, archeologists have discovered a stone on which constitution belonging to Ashoka is written.

Shell-Shaped fort

The Fort was build primarily from Security point of view. No structure inside
the fort has any architectural magnitude & has not withstood the ravages of
times. The fort is built in the shape of a
shell and has 15 inner forts with 15
main doors in an area of approximately
25 acres. The fort of Gooty is an amalgamation of Hindu-Islamic architecture.
The fort has numerous temples, including Nageswara Swamy Temple, Lakshminarasimhaswamy Temple and
Ramaswamy Temple.
On the top of the fort a small pavilion
made in polished lime stone is known
as Morari Rao's seat. It offers a
panoramic view of the town below and
is believed to be the favorite resort of
Maratha ruler Morari Rao. Sitting on
the top of the fort & watching the sunset, beautiful landscape & a walk in the
MAY 2016

nearby places

Penukonda: This place is around 65 Kms from Anantapur. It served as
the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire for a short period. This is one of
the holiest places in south India, It has 365 temples of Lord Hanuman.
This place is also popular for the Babaiah Dargah (Mausoleum) The
Dargah of 12th Century Sufi Saint Hazrat Syed Shah Baba Fakruddin
Suharwardy(R.A) A perfect symbol of brotherhood & communal harmony between all the communities.

Rayadurg Fort: This magnificent fort is situated on the foothills of the
Rayadurg Town. This unique hill fort was constructed by Junga Nayak.
A part of this fort wall has disintegrated. There are four caves placed
beneath the slope which has small doors of stone with sculptors of Siddhas. The area of the fort comprises of many village temples like
Elamma, Narashimhaswamy and Hanuman.
The big banyan Tree: One can also visit the big banyan tree known as
Thimmamma Marrimanu, located around 35 km from town Kadiri &
100 Kms from Anantapur. It is reported to be the world's biggest tree
with a canopy of 19,107 square metres. Its branches spread over 5
acres and were recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of
World Records in 1989.
One can also visit some wonderful places like Lepakshi, known for the
biggest Nandi statue in India, and there are many temples built during
the13th century AD. Dharmavaram another famous place for silk sarees, Puttaparthy, abode of Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba, Hemavati, Penakacherla & PABR dams, Aluru Kona water fall near to Tadipatri &
world famous Belum caves near Tadipatri.

where to stay

There are some star hotels & many budget hotels to stay at Anantapur.
Do not go for online booking, it’s better to check suitable hotels & directly ask for the low tariffs & special discounts.

best time to visit

Any time is the fine to enjoy the beauty of Gooty Fort but September to
February is the perfect time. The weather during these months remains
cool and pleasant.

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