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| The Kalyana Mahal at Gingee Fort in Villupuram district thehindu.com |
Above image: Gingee Fort, TN. Perched atop the hill, it is tough to access the impregnable fort with tall walls and bastions. It firmly stood the test of time and of fierce battles and strife through several centuries. Forming a triangular area, the fort covers three hills.The fort is built carefully to withhold long siege.
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| Gingee Fort (Rajagiri hill),TN outlookindia.com |
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| Gingee Fort,TamilNadu .etvbharat.com |
Above image: Gingee Fort of Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu. Often called "the Troy of the East"it is inscribed as a "UNESCO World Heritage Site" as part of the Maratha Military Landscapes that are spread across the states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the selected sites, include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
The ancient fort, located about 40 km from Villupuram and about 157 km from Chennai had its origin in the Kon dynasty that laid the foundation for the Gingee Fort in 1190 CE.A sturdy fort on a rugged hill, it bore witness to the change of control of various ruling dynasties such as the Vijayanagara, Marathas, Nawabs of Arcot, Tipu Sultan, the French and finally the British. It has been a tourist attractions for decades.
The UNESCO has clubbed this impregnable fort along with 11 other structures in Maharashtra and formed a serial nomination portraying the military architecture and strategic design of the Maratha empire. Its recognition was announced At the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris its recognition was announced recently. An expert from the International Council on Monuments and Sites, Hwajong Lee, visited the site on September 27 last year for the assessment.
During the 17th to 19th centuries CE when enemy raids and intrusions were frequent, Maratha military leaders planed the military forts with innovative defensive features to repel the enemy attacks. The Maratha Military Landscapes of India is an extraordinary network of twelve forts (11of them in Maharashtra in the Ghat regions) highlights careful planning, the strategic military vision and location. It is an epitome of architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire in their construction of defensive structures to safeguard the kingdom. Mostly, the forts with high walls, military and religious structures(including secret tunnels, underground passages, granaries, elephant tank, etc) were constructed in the rugged mountainous terrains. In the 16th CE, Vijayanagara rulers made vast improvements in the then existing fort.
This majestic hill fortress has now joined Tamil Nadu has a proud list of UNESCO sites, including the Great Living Chola Temples of Thanjavur, Darasuramnear Kumbakonam and Gangaikonda Cholapuram (in Ariyalur District), the monuments at Mamallapuram, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (established by the British) and the Western Ghats. C.M of Tamil Nadu tweeted, "A proud moment for Tamil Nadu and its enduring cultural heritage." The Gingee is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tamil Nadu.
https://www.outlooktraveller.com/experiences/heritage/did-you-know-about-this-tamil-nadu-fort-that-has-been-nominated-for-the-world-heritage-site-list
.gov.in/maratha-military-landscapes-of-india-inscribed-in-unescos-world-heritage-list
