JUNE 7, 1872.]
ANCIENT REMAINS IN THE KRISHNA DISTRICT.
rows of stone-pillars, but the two upper stories have fallen down.
The third was in
existence
within the memory of those still living. The other gate known as pedda durwaja is on the north-west side towards Narsaraupet. It became the princi pal gate in later times, but there is reason to sup pose that the other was originally the main gate. This fort is said to have been built by the Reddis. On entering the fort by the kattol diddi, there face one the two bangalas erected by Messrs. Rohde and Newill, which, however, are both considerably di lapidated. The area of this higher fort is very extensive. There are high towers and battlements, ramparts loop-holed for musketry along every commanding eminence, overhanging the edge of deep precipices. The views from many of these forts looking over the low country is very fine. One of these points of vantage has been availed of for the erection of a colonade or long mantapam known as miriyala takhta. Tradition says that this was the favourite resort of one of the old Reddi Chieftain who held the
fort. There are the remains of the old treasury, magazines, granaries, and all sorts of store godowns. One of these is a bombproof building, the interior of which is a well cut in the rock eleven
feet by seven and four feet six inches deep. This was the receptacle used for the storing of ghee. Everywhere may be seen the foundations of dwell ing houses, and the number of rice-pounding stone mortars is very great, giving evidence that a large number of persons must have at one time been quartered in this hill fort. There are many springs on the top of the hill, and three large tanks, one leading into the other, so that when the first is filled, the second begins to receive its supply, and similarly again the third. There is also the re mains of a pekota showing that this was the method of raising water then employed. There are on the hill a number of temples, but all the images have been broken, or had their features chipped off through the iconoclastic zeal of the Muhammadans," who have also turned several of the temples into Mosques. One of these Mosques was transformed in this way by one Gulab Ghazi, and close beside it is his dargah or tomb, for the repairs of which there is an endowment of four Kuchelas of land in a
village in Bapatla Taluq. The holder of the Inam is bound to look after the repairs of the Mosque and tomb, and ascends the hill every Friday to light a lamp, as well as on the occasion of the principal festivals.
But the time when the Muhammadans gained possession of this fort was subsequent to the date when the third or lower fort on the north side was
built. This is known as simply Kota, and owes its origin to the dynasty of Bijayanagar, better known as the Royalu. Tradition goes that about the be ginning of the sixteenth century the race of the Reddi sovereigns came to an end. The last old
183
king died childless, and his seventy-two chiefs could not agree upon the selection of a successor. Krishna Deva Royalu, the most illustrious ruler of
his race, heard of this state of things, and at once conceived the idea of acquiring for himself the old Reddi's kingdom and fort. His strong idea was to make religion the support of the throne, and his pious memory is still revered throughout the Northern Sarkars and Ceded Provinces, as the founder or restorer of many Hindu temples and Pagodas. Krishna Deva Royalu's idea on the sub ject of a union between Church and State was a worldly-wise policy, and for the protection afford ed by the sovereigns to religion, he expected as a return that the priesthood, whom he endowed with wealth, should use all their influence to carry out his political views. Accordingly, it is said on the present occasion, he selected a wily and unscrupul ous member of the sacerdotal fraternity, as his tool for the accomplishment of his ambitious designs. The Brahman was furnished with money, and di rected to restore a magnificent temple of Gopina thaswami at the foot of Kondavid.
A new image
was to be consecrated and set up, and for the cele bration of these rites, the presiding priest invited the seventy-two Chiefs to descend from their hill fortress. They came—the three score and twelve— and were all seated in the great hall. From thence one by one the officiating priest led them to the inner shrine to view the new representation of deity, and to bow before the image that the great Krish na Deva Royalu had set up. As they stepped into the antaralikam or inner hall, and bowed at the threshold, two ruffians, who were concealed in the chamber, stepped forward, and before the victim had time to raise a cry, precipitated him into a deep well whose mouth it was impossible to discover amid the surrounding gloom. One by one each Reddi Chieftain approached the shrine, and all shared one common fate, one common grave, and then all was easy for Krishna Deva Royalu to seize the fort. He preferred the plain, however, to the hill, and the third fort, as has been said, owes its origin to him. It has two entrances known as the
Colepelli Darwaja and the Nadelle Darwaja. The ramparts of the fort still remain to a considerable extent, with the gates and streets paved with stone. There are a number of modern houses in the fort, and ruins, and blocks of cut stone, scattered all round. The chief feature of interest, however, in this fort is Gopnathaswämi's temple. It is a
very large building of stone, and the pillars are very fine, in some cases a cluster of five pil lars carved out of a single block. The Muham madans, however, have destroyed all the images,
and converted the great hall into a Mosque. It remains as such to this day. To enter the hinder
portion one has to go round to the other side. The autaralikam is to be seen where the well is said to
have been dug which received the Reddi Chiefs.
