Gooty Fort, Gooty: History, highlights and visitor guide

History and context

The story behind Gooty Fort

Inscriptions suggest the fort was held in the time of the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI, and the earliest surviving structures date from the late Chalukya period. It later passed to the Vijayanagara Empire, then to the Qutb Shahis and probably the Mughals. The Maratha general Murari Rao Ghorpade took it around 1746 and made it his seat.

In 1775 Hyder Ali besieged the fort, and Murari Rao surrendered after about two months when his water ran short. The East India Company then took charge, and Thomas Munro used some buildings as prisons. The district site notes the place was once called Gowthampuri, and the hill is also known as Ravadurg.

Useful facts

Gooty Fort facts at a glance

Location

Gooty, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh

Experience type

Steep hill-fort climb

Known for

Shell-shaped ring of forts, Murari Rao's seat

Built

Late Chalukya era onwards; Vijayanagara and later additions

Protection

Centrally protected monument, ASI

Water

Rock-cut reservoirs and wells inside the walls

Why it matters

Why Gooty Fort is worth your time

Gooty Fort is one of the older hill forts in Andhra Pradesh and one of the few where you can read several centuries of rule in one climb. Inscriptions point to Western Chalukya control, and later holders included the Vijayanagara Empire, the Qutb Shahis and the Marathas under Murari Rao Ghorpade, whose siege by Hyder Ali ended when the water ran out.

That last detail explains the site's engineering: rock-cut reservoirs caught rain and wells were dug inside the walls, because water was the weak point of a hill fort. Walking through the ruins also shows how the East India Company took over the fort and used its buildings as prisons. It is a quiet place, with few facilities, and that is much of its character.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   Murari Rao's seat

   A small pavilion on the cliff edge gives the best view of Gooty and the plateau around it.

2. 02

   Ruined stores and magazines

   Granaries, storerooms and a gunpowder magazine show how a garrison lived through a siege.

3. 03

   Rock-cut reservoirs

   Cut channels and tanks trapped rain on the summit, the key to holding a hill fort.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

Start at first light from the foot of the hill, where two cannon stand near the path and a shop sells water. Buy more than you think you need, because nothing is sold at the top. The way up is steep in places, with large boulders where you can sit, and a dargah and a small Muslim cemetery appear partway as a natural rest stop. Look back at intervals for the view of the town.

The fort is a shell-shaped complex of about fifteen smaller forts linked by an outer wall with bastions. Higher up you will see ruined granaries, storerooms and magazines, watch towers, cannon positions, and the Lakshmi Narasimha temple site near the summit. Murari Rao's seat is a small pavilion on the cliff edge and is the best-kept structure, with a wide view over the town and the surrounding hills. Most other buildings are reduced to foundations, and gates and passages narrow, so take care.

Plan the return before you go. The fort gets few visitors, so agree with your auto driver to wait or to return on a phone call. Descend before the rock heats up, and visit the European Cemetery at the foot if it is open.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

Gooty town, Anantapur district; the fort rises directly above the town

Time needed

2-3 hours including the climb

Best time

Early morning, November to February; avoid April to June

Walking level

Demanding

Senior comfort

The path is steep in places, with boulders to rest on and narrow gates higher up, and there is no shop, shade or seating at the top. It is not advised for anyone with knee, heart or balance problems; the foot of the hill and the lower walls give a gentler look.

Tickets and access

The fort is a centrally protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. No entry fee or hours are published, so ask in Gooty on the day. A shop at the foot sells bottled water, and none is available higher up.

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