Gurramkonda (Gurram-Konda means Horse-hill) is a hill-fort located in Chittoor district on the Cuddapah (Kadapa) – Bangalore highway, around 32 km from Madanapalle. The fort stands on top of a 500 feet hill with three almost perpendicular sides.
Gurramkonda Fort Timings: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on all days
Gurramkonda Fort History:
The fort was originally a mud & rock construction, under the control of the Vijayanagara (Hampi) kingdom. Later it passed through the hands of the Golconda sultans who strengthened the fortifications with rock walls, later the fort was taken over by the Marathas, the Cuddapah Nawabs, Hyder Ali & Tipu Sultan and was eventually by the British.
According to local legend, the hill-fort was called ‘Gurramkonda’ since there was a statue of a horse on top of the hill, which was believed to be the guardian of the fort. The fort was impregnable so long as the horse remained there. When the Marathas laid siege on the hill, they tried every trick in the book to conquer the fort but could not do so. When they learned about the legend of the horse statue, a Maratha chief managed to scale the hill one night and carry away the horse. Thus the spell was broken and on the next attack, the fort fell to the Marathas.
Apart from a couple of temples on the hill, the main places to see are the fort ramparts, the Ranginimahal palace and the tomb of Mir Raza Ali Khan, who was Tipu Sultan’s maternal uncle.
As a kid, I used to visit Kadapa quite often and every time we passed through Gurramkonda I would stare at the ‘Ranginimahal’ palace which is visible from the main road. I was quite fascinated by the quaint old structure, but never actually got the opportunity to stop and take a closer look at it. This time around I finally got to see Gurramkonda fort and the Ranginimahal from close quarters.
How to Reach Gurramkonda Fort:
Chittoor is well connected by road and rail. There are buses from other parts of the state as well as the neighboring states, which take you to Chittoor.
By Air:
The nearest airport is Tirupati which is 126 km away.
The nearest International airport is Yerthiganahalli Bangalore Airport which is 141 km.
By Train:
The nearest railway station is Vayalpadu which is 18 km away.
By Road:
The direct bus is available from Madanapalle, Piler and Vayalpadu.
Gurramkonda Fort Address:
Kadapa-Bengaluru Highway,
Gurram Konda,
Chittoor,
Andhra Pradesh 517297.
Phone:090528 41038