India: Andhra’s Kondapalli Fort - A commanding legacy

Bengaluru: India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh is known for many magnificent hill forts, but few of these fortresses beat the picturesque location and the panoramic view commanded by the Kondapalli Fort.

Located on a range of hills of the Eastern Ghats, Kondapalli Fort presents stunning views of the eponymous town, the city of Vijayawada not so far away, as well as the verdant agricultural fields and hills alongside the Krishna River.

According to the locals, on a clear day, the outlines of the distant Bay of Bengal are also visible.

Though, the rustic natural settings and the historic significance of the fort are enough to pull in large crowds, more than anything else, the spectacular views from the fort attract most tourists.

Naturally, this once impregnable stronghold has now become a major weekend getaway for the people of Vijaywada, the state’s second largest city and a major commercial hub on the east coast of India.

Just 25km away from Vijaywada, the Kondapalli hill range is also a popular trekking destination with the local adventure lovers venturing into its many serpentine forest tracks during the cooler winter climes of November and December.

History

Historically, hill forts of the Eastern Ghats have been sought after by the medieval rulers for the strategic advantage they offered in the warfare and in securing the territory. Kondapalli is no different. Not only did it offer military advantage, it also helped secure important trade routes and housed the local garrisons, apart from being the summer retreat of the royal families that ruled over it.

The Fort is considered more than a millennium old, with its origin traced back to 10th century. It began as a security outpost of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty and soon turned into a key administrative and military post.

Due to its strategic presence, the fort has been coveted by various dynasties and over the centuries have been controlled by all the major dynasties of the Deccan, including the Kakatiyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Bahamanis, the Qutub Shahis, the Mughals, the Asaf Jahi Nizams of Hyderabad, the French East India Company and finally it became part of the colonial British Raj.

Glory

But, it was during the reign of the enterprising Qutub Shahi Dynasty of the Golconda fame, the fort had its most glorious time. This is signified by the ruins that remain.

The fort has been rebuilt and expanded several times, however, the last significant expansion was done by the Qutub Shahi kings. Most of the present structure of the fort and its enclosed palace and other edifices are from their period.

The Qutub Shahi Kingdom was one of the five principalities that splintered from the vast Bahamani Empire. It was one of the most prosperous medieval kingdoms of India and a major hub of diamond trade thanks mainly to the Kollur Mine, home of the world famous Kohinoor, which is not too far away from the Kondapalli Fort.

The remnants of the sprawling fort and the ruined palace clearly indicate that Kondapalli featured prominently in the life of the Qutub Shahi kings as a summer retreat and a military base.

According to historians, when the fort fell into the hands of the Qutub Shahi kings during the early period of their rule in the first half of the 16th century, they paid great attention to the rebuilding of the fort and palace.

The palatial remains of this period are the Durbar Hall (Royal Court), Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience), Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Rani Mahal (Queen’s Private Apartments), Market Yard, Granary, Dungeon, the Armoury and the fortification wall. The outer fortification wall was rebuilt during the period of the dynasty’s third ruler, Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, who ruled between 1550 AD and 1580 AD.

Harmony

The Qutub Shahis are widely acclaimed for the establishment of a flourishing civilisation of a highly cosmopolitan nature.

Their rule was adorned by magnificent structures such as the Charminar of Hyderabad, rich literature that saw the blossoming of the local Telugu language apart from Persian literature, artistic finesse, a dynamic culture that ensured the seamless blending of the Persian traditions with Indian customs and most importantly their ability to control wealth and trade, the fame of which reached distant shores and attracted traders from Arabia, Europe, Africa and the new world of Americas.

The Kondapalli Fort played a key role in the military activities of the Qutub Shahis because of its impregnable nature. Its strategic location also proved crucial in watching over the lucrative trade route, mostly of diamonds and other precious stones, to Machilipatnam, which was their main port.

The kingdom was doomed 1687 when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir conquered the Deccan region occupying all the regional kingdoms one by one. Following the end of the Qutub Shahis, the fort lost much of its lustre and was eventually used as a garrison by the British Army of India.

Technology

The glorious history of this millennium old fort comes alive inside the 16th century palace that was recently restored by the state’s Department of Archeology and Museum. The palace has now been turned into a modern museum, giving visitors a technology led experience into its rich history.

The Augmented Reality (AR) technology enables a spectacular experience through visual attractions such as Laser 3D projection mapping and a lighting show.

The royal court beautifully blends the ancient legacy with the modern technology, enabling portraits, idols and sculptures through AR.

The digital display technology also offers a realistic experience of the beautifully handcrafted Kondapalli toys, a local legacy.

Legacy

The Kondapalli craft tradition is a legacy that continues to flourish in the eponymous town that is located at the feet of the Kondapalli hill range, overlooked by the ancient fort.

A quaint little town with white-washed row houses thriving under the shadow of the fort, the folks of Kondapalli are primarily occupied in the making of wooden toys.

Unlike other craft traditions in the country, the heritage continues to flourish, drawing the soft wood from the trees unique to the range.

One of India’s last remaining traditional toy making legacies, the Kondapalli Bommolu has been evolving in the town for more than 400 years and around 80 families continue to practice this unique craft.

Now competing with Chinese machine made toys, the Kondapalli toys are exquisitely hand-crafted.

Made from locally-sourced light wood and shaped using natural ingredients such tamarind seed paste, and coloured with vegetable dyes, the craft has a distinctly Rajasthani flavour with the community tracing its origins to the Western desert state.

Rural motifs such as bullock carts, farmers, huts and animals dominate the items that are made in the town. Mythological figures also figure prominently in the craft. However, adapting to the modern tastes and sensibilities, the artisans now create a range of new items such as miniature cars, boats and motorbikes.

From natural thrills, history and heritage to traditional craft and the rustic charm that comes with it, Kondapalli offers the complete package for travellers with diverse interests. It’s an entire ecosystem waiting to be explored!

-- Shafaat Shahbandari is a freelance journalist based in Bengarulu and founder-editor of Thousand Shades of India.