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| Devanahalli Fort,Karnataka deccanherald.com |
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| Devanahalli Fort,KA incredibleindia.com |
Located approximately 35 kilometers north of Bengaluru, the Devanahalli Fort stands as a formidable stone sentinel guarding centuries of Deccani history. While modern travelers recognize the area primarily for its proximity to the Kempegowda International Airport, the fort itself is a complex historical palimpsest, bearing the marks of the Vijayanagara vassals, the Wadiyars of Mysore, the Marathas, and the high-stakes conflict between the Mysore Sultanate and the British Empire.
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| Devanahalli Fort, Karnataka karnatakatravel.blogspot.com |
A Turbulent History
The fort’s origins date back to 1501, when Malla Baire Gowda of Avati, a scion of the Morasu Wokkalu family (the same lineage as Bengaluru’s founder, Kempe Gowda), constructed a rudimentary mud fortification at a settlement then known as Devanadoddi. For nearly 250 years, the fort remained with his descendants until it was captured in 1749 by Nagarajaiah, the Dalwai of Mysore.
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| Devanahalli Fort,en.wikipedia.com |
The structure we see today is largely the work of Hyder Ali, who reconstructed the fort in stone during the late 18th century. It was later maintained by his son, Tipu Sultan, who briefly attempted to rename the town "Yousafabad." The fort’s strategic importance made it a prime target during the Anglo-Mysore Wars; in 1791, it was besieged and captured by Lord Cornwallis,of East India Company, marking a significant shift toward British hegemony in Southern India.
Architectural Precision
Architecturally, the fort is roughly oval and spreads across 20 acres. Its massive walls are veneered with dressed masonry and fortified by 12 semi-circular bastions equipped with gun points built of lime and brick. The east and west entrances are surprisingly small, designed to be easily defensible while remaining "comfortable enough for the horses of yore." Inside, the fort preserves a domestic history as well, housing the residences of Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan, and the influential Dewan Purnaiah. Just 150 meters outside the fort lies the Khas Bagh, where a modest pillared memorial marks the birthplace of Tipu Sultan.
The Sacred Precincts
The interior of the fort is a living town, home to a cluster of temples that showcase the evolution of Dravidian and Vijayanagara art styles:
Venugopalaswamy Temple: The most prominent shrine, its walls are a lithic gallery depicting scenes from the Ramayana. Its black-stone pillars feature intricate reliefs of musicians, hunters, and deities, with craftsmanship often compared to the Hoysala marvels of Belur and Halebid.
Siddalingeshwara and Chandramouleshwara Temples: Built in the Vijayanagara style, these temples stand as symbols of enduring Shaivite traditions within the fortified walls.
Nanjundeshwara Temple: Regarded as the oldest temple in the town, this modest structure—formerly known as Kashi Vishveshwara—serves as the foundational spiritual anchor of Devanahalli.
Today, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Devanahalli Fort is not merely a ruin but a bridge between the agrarian roots of the Avati chieftains and the imperial ambitions of the Mysore Sultans.
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/631389/historical-devanahalli-fort.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devanahalli_Fort
https://karnatakatravel.blogspot.com/2014/02/fort-devanahalli.html
K. N. Jayaraman
