Union minister announces comprehensive development of Kondaveedu Fort

Key facts

• The Union minister of state recently announced plans for the comprehensive development of the historic Kondaveedu Fort.
• Kondaveedu Fort is located at Kondaveedu village in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The fort is spread across a range of hills at around 1,050 feet elevation and is the largest hill fort in present Andhra Pradesh.
• It was constructed during the time of the Telugu Chodas, strengthened by the Kakatiyas, and occupied by Prolaya Vema Reddy who shifted his capital from Addanki to Kondaveedu in 1323 AD.
• The fort was later taken over by the Gajpathis of Orissa and ravaged by the Bahmani Sultans in 1458.
• It came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Golconda Sultanate, the Mughals, the French, and the British.
• The architecture displays a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles and was mainly constructed with granite stones and lime mortar.
• The fort features 23 bastions connected by defensive walls and two main entrances called Kolepalli Darwaza and Nadella Darwaza.
• Inside the fort are ruins of temples, pillared halls, granaries, water tanks, and a mosque.
• The fort is known for its ancient water conservation system with several ponds supplying water to inhabitants.
• Recent archaeological findings include Buddhist stupa remains dating back to the 1st or 2nd century CE.