The sprawling Gingee Fort in Villupuram district should have been an ideal must-visit tourist destination in the northern part of Tamil Nadu. However, the fort has not found the place it deserves on the tourism map of the State, mainly owing to the lack of basic tourism amenities.
Known as the ‘Troy of the East’, the fort located atop three hillocks – Rajagiri, Krishnagiri and Chandragiri – was considered impregnable and was a symbol of the State’s glorious past. It had witnessed the rise and fall of successive empires spanning centuries.
Built by Ananta Kon of the Konar Dynasty in 1,200 CE, the ownership of the fort changed hands many times. It was under the possession of several empires such as the Vijayanagar Nayaks, Marathas, Mughals, Nawabs, the French and British.
According to D. Ramesh, assistant professor of history, Arignar Anna Government Arts College, Villupuram, “The first fortification was built by Ananda Kon in the 12th Century. His successor fortified the northern hill in 1,240 CE and called it Krishnagiri, while the other buildings and structures were raised by successive rulers. The next comprehensive constructions at the fort were done under the auspices of the Vijayanagar Empire.”
The fort was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1677. “It remained under Maratha rule till it came under the control of the Mughals in 1698. It was ruled by Raja Desingh (Tej Singh) for a brief period before it was taken over by the Arcot Nawabs in 1714 and remained under their control till 1749. The fort remained under the French from 1750 to 1770 before slipping into the hands of the British,” he explained.
The fort started losing its prominence after the British did not pay much attention to its upkeep. They abandoned the structure and settled in erstwhile Madras. The remnants of the fort can now be seen with curved ramparts, an underground secret chamber and a ruined palace complex, Mr. Ramesh added.
Spread over 11 acres, the fort houses a stepped well and Kalyana Mahal, a durbar hall, a cannon, a clock tower, an armoury, an elephant tank, a stable, a granary, a gymnasium, a Venkataramana temple and a Sadathtulla mosque.
The fortress had two elaborate systems for water supply, corresponding to the Nayaks and the Nawab period, which at one time had ensured that even the top of the fortress had a continuous supply.
Heritage structures, especially ones with a lot of history like the Gingee Fort, should be preserved for posterity. The fort has a lot of untapped tourism potential and a lot more work needs to be done to attract tourists. “People have encroached on land belonging to the fort inside the sprawling premises and cultivated crops. The authorities should evict them and initiate steps to promote Gingee as an attractive tourist destination,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Official sources said the Villupuram district administration, in association with the Department of Tourism and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the fort, is working on a proposal to help put the Gingee Fort on the tourism map.
“The tourism potential of Gingee has never been utilised. The proposal being readied by the administration will focus on cleanliness and will take visitors through the Rajagiri Hills and the remnants of the structure, which remains relatively unknown to most tourists,” an official told The Hindu. Work on the construction of toilet blocks and new ticket counters have been completed. The structure will be given a facelift by creating a lawn in front of the Rajagiri Hills, apart from the restoration of the moat and the barracks, he added.
