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| know-your-heritage.blogspot.com |
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| know-your-heritage.blogspot.com |
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| know-your-heritage.blogspot.com |
Located on the banks of river Vashista, 56 km (35 mi) away from Salem. city, Katti Mudali Fort was built between 1580 and 1650 CE by Ramachandra Nayakar, a Polygar (Palayakarar) feudatory of Katti Mudaliar dynasty under the Madurai Nayaks called Lakshmana Nayakan during the 17th century.
The Ketti Mudali family ruled Tharamangalam and Amarakunthi villages between 1559 and 1585, Centered at Taramangalam, his rule extended till the present-day districts of Salem, Karur, Erode and Coimbatore. Katti Mudaliar's family members used to live inside the fort and the domed structure was used as a sort of kutchery - durbar hall.by the rulers to meet the subjects and officials. The katti Mudali dynasty built both Shiva and Vishnu temples within the fort and with enough water facility, it was a self-contained fortified area.
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| tAttur Fort, TN amilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com |
It was occupied by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan (1721-1782) of Mysore and before them in 1699 Ananthagiri was occupied by Chikka Deva Raya of Mysore (1673 - 1704 A.D.) as per the treaty concluded by "Lingurajayah with Aurachee"
Later British in 1792.after a peace treaty with Tipu took control of the fort and Ananthagiri served as the garrison for 23rd Madras Battalion with Captain Campbell as the commander. Madras Battalion moved over to Sankagiri fort, the fort continued to be employed as ordnance depot from 1799 on the advice of Lord Robert Clive. The British detachment was housed till 1824.
Square shape in plan built on the north-western side of the river the small fort occupies about 62 acres of rugged land.. Known as Ananthagiri Fort or Attur Ananthagiri Fort, it has 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. The sloped rampart or embankment was built with cut stone and mortar. The artificial sloping is meant to protect the rampart from raids by the enmity's army. The interesting aspect is angled bastions (angular structure with two faces and two flanks projecting outward from the rampart) specifically designed to cover each other from firing.
After the Madras battalion had moved over to Rayakottai (now in Krishnagiri) no one took care of the fort covering vast area. Being in a secluded place and unused the remaining and damaged parts of the fort have become an haven for anti-socials, and later encroachers, Revenue officials say that the houses around the fort don’t have original patta, but residents say they have lived there for generations. It is yet another neglected monument being misused by the encroachers who have no legal rights. ASI, Chennai Circle which maintains now. must free the monuments from the encroachers after making some alternative arrangements because they seem to be poor. it is imperative to sav the historical connectivity of the bygone era of this terrain.
https://know-your-heritage.blogspot.com/2015/01/gatti-mudali-dynasty-of-salem-region.html
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, Attur, Salem District, TN , a neglected monument; ASI has to remove the encroachers ){kind=link}