Kondaveedu Fort, Amaravati - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 32 km from Guntur, 58 km from Amaravati and 73 km from Vijayawada, Kondaveedu Fort is an ancient hill fortress located at Kondaveedu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the historical forts in Andhra Pradesh and among the famous Amaravati Tourist Places.

Kondaveedu Fort was constructed during the time of Telugu Chodas, strengthened by Kakatiyas and occupied by Prolaya Vema Reddy who shifted his capital from Addanki to Kondaveedu in 1323 AD. Later it was taken over by Gajpathis of Orissa and ravaged by the Bahmani Sultans in 1458. The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya captured it in 1516. The Golconda Sultans fought for the fort in 1531, 1536 and 1579, and Sultan Quli Qutb Shah finally captured it in 1579, renaming it as Murtuzanagar. Later it was recaptured by the Mughal army of Aurangzeb in 1687 and the fort came under the control of the French colonists in 1752 when it was extensively fortified. It passed on to the English imperialists who got control of the fort in 1788 but abandoned it in the early 19th century in favour of Guntur.

There are two other forts nearby. All the three forts on top of the narrow hill range are now in ruins. At an altitude of about 1700 feet, the earliest one date back to 12th century and was considered then as one of the strongest forts in the region. It comprises huge ramparts, warehouses, granaries, and wells. There are two entry gates into the forts, called the 'Kolepalli Darwaza' and the 'Nadella Darwaza'. The entrance gate is three-storied, massive and made of granite stone blocks. A building built with rock pillars and covered with rock slabs, has 110 meters long inscriptions. A defense bunker is also seen. The source of water supply to the inhabitants of the fort was from three sources namely, the Mutyalamma Cheruvu, the Puttalamma Cheruvu and the Vedulla Cheruvu.

There are temples and pillared halls inside the fort which attract many tourists. Trikoteshwara Swamy temple, Gopinatha Temple and Kathulabave are some of the main attractions. A mosque is also located within the fort and is said to have been built with temple ruins. Early in 2019, remains of a Buddhist stupa were found under a dilapidated Hindu temple at Kondaveedu Fort. The remains date back to the later Satavahana period - 1st to 2nd century CE. The fort being located on a hill top, the view from this place is awe inspiring.

Recently the fort has been restored by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. The government has already constructed a ghat road to the fort at a cost of Rs 50 crore for the convenience of the tourists and developing the fort to attract international tourists. The Vedulla Cheruvu, Mutyalamma Cheruvu and Puttalamma Cheruvu on the hillock of the fort are also being developed.

Timings: 5 AM - 6 PM