{{Short description|Ruined hill fort in Gooty, Andhra Pradesh, India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox military installation | name = Gooty Fort | native_name = | location = Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh | nearest_town = Gooty | country = India | image = Gooty Fort.JPG | caption = | type = Fortress | coordinates = {{coord|15.1133979|N|77.6514648|E|type:landmark|display=inline}} | pushpin_map = India Andhra Pradesh#India | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Andhra Pradesh, India | past_commanders = Murari Rao, Thomas Munro }} The '''Gooty Fort''', also known as '''Ravadurg''' and '''Gutti Kota''', is a ruined fort located on a hill in the Gooty town of Andhra Pradesh, India. The town of Gooty (originally, "Gutti") is located in the Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Centrally Protected Monuments|url=http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/monuments.html|website=Archeological Survey of India|accessdate=27 May 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626104454/http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/monuments.html|archive-date=26 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== History ==
thumb|Gooty Fort, Andhra Pradesh
Eight inscriptions have been found on the rocks close to the Narasimha temple located within the fort premises. These inscriptions are seriously damaged, but appear to be from the reign of the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI (r. c. 1076-1126 CE). The earliest of the existing fortifications and other structures can be dated to the late Chalukya period.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty">{{cite web |url=http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/anantapur_gooty.html |title=Monuments in Anantpur |publisher=Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad Circle |accessdate=2016-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614022947/http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/anantapur_gooty.html |archive-date=14 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The fort later came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire. During the reign of Venkata II (r. c. 1584-1614), the Vijayanagara lost the fort to the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The Mughals appear to have controlled the fort after their conquest of the Qutb Shahi capital Golconda. Around 1746 CE, the Maratha general Raja Murarirao Ghorpade captured the fort, and made it his permanent residence eight years later. He repaired the fort, and commissioned the stucco ornamentation of the small gateways.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/>
In 1775 CE, the Mysore ruler Hyder Ali attacked and besieged the fort. After two months, Murari Rao was forced to surrender, as he ran out of water supplies. The fort later came under the control of the East India Company. Its administrator Thomas Munro was buried at the cemetery located at the foothill.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/>
== Architecture == The fort is located on a group of hills that rise up to 680 m above the sea level. The hills are connected by lower spurs. The citadel of the fort is located on the westernmost hill.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/> It has only one entrance known as "Mar Gooty."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vinayak|first=Akshatha|date=2016-07-12|title=Gooty Fort: Remembering Those Times|url=https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/gooty-for-in-anantapur-andhra-pradesh-002197.html|access-date=2020-11-27|website=nativeplanet.com|language=en}}</ref> The summit of the citadel has two buildings, apparently a granary and a gunpowder magazine. The ruined Narasimha temple is located near the summit. On a 300 m high cliff, there is a small pavilion called "Murari Rao's seat", which provides a panoramic view of the town below. It is said that the Maratha general Murarirao Ghorpade used to play chess and swing here.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/>
The lower fortifications comprise a series of ramparts, which are connected by gateways and flanked by bastions. Numerous reservoirs excavated on the rock clefts were used to trap the seasonal rainwater.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/> 108 wells were also dug within the fort walls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/historic-gooty-fort-in-need-of-renovation/article6092037.ece |title=Historic Gooty fort in need of renovation |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2016-06-07 }}</ref>
There are several ruined buildings within the fort, including granaries, storerooms, and magazines. Some of these were used as prisons by the East India Company administrator Thomas Munro.<ref name="ASI_Hyd_Gooty"/>
== Tourism Development (2024–2025) ==
In an effort to promote heritage tourism in Andhra Pradesh, a task force has been formed by the government to develop tourism circuits, including the historic Gooty Fort.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-15|title=Tourism Promotion & Heritage Circuit Development (2024–2025)|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/task-force-formed-to-promote-tourism-heritage-circuits-90655|website=thehansindia.com|language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} <small>5. ^''"''</small>[https://30stades.com/travel/gooty-fort-complex-with-15-forts-and-108-ponds-rainwater-harvesting-andhra-pradesh-8441057 https://30stades.com/travel/gooty-fort-complex-with-15-forts-and-108-ponds-rainwater-harvesting-andhra-pr adesh-8441057]<small>''". Dec 15 2024.''</small>{{Forts in Andhra Pradesh}}
Category:Forts in Andhra Pradesh Category:Buildings and structures in Anantapur district Category:Monuments of National Importance in Andhra Pradesh