Hemagudda Fort

Hemagudda Fort, located 16 km from Gangavathi, holds a fascinating history. The fort is renowned for the present Durga Devi Temple and the grand Dasara celebrations. Originally, it was known as Emmigudda Fort. The fort’s location was strategically chosen, surrounded by hills on the north, south and east sides. It was constructed in a semicircular shape towards the east and has six circular bastions. Although much of the fort is now in ruins, the eastern side still has an entrance gateway. Inside the fort, one can find the Durga Devi Temple, Hanuman Temple, Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Shiva Temple and a large square structure called Kadegapu. The western hill has a gate and a temple, while the northern hill features two circular bastions. The architectural style of the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, especially its Kadamba-Nagara style tower above the Sanctum (Garbhagriha), suggests that the fort and temple were built by the Kummata kings in the 13th century. Later, in the 16th century, the KanakagiriPalegar Nawab Udachappanayaka took control of the fort, fortified it, built additional temples and constructed the Entrance hall (Dwaramantapa) for the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. The Durga Devi, Hanuman and Shiva Temples reflect the Vijayanagara architectural style from the KanakagiriPalegars’ period. The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is located atop an elevated platform and can be accessed by several steps. It consists of a Sanctum (Garbhagriha), Ante-chamber (Antarala), Assembly hall (Sabhamantapa), Garuda shrine and a large entrance hall. The Shiva Temple comprises a Sanctum, Assembly hall and Nandimantapa, with a Dravidian-style tower above the Sanctum. The Kadegapu is a square-shaped structure with four semicircular bastions at its corners. Between the two bastions on the front wall is a colonnade with ten pillars. Arches are present in front of the six pillars on the southern side and three on the northern side. Hidden chambers with stone slab doors are located behind these arches. On the western hill rock of the fort, an inscription reads “AchyutapuradiSulipalyaBasavanna’s Grant.” Hemagudda Fort played a significant role in Kanakagiri’s history. When the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb pursued Suryapuri king Pitambari Baheripiddanayaka, Kanakagiri’sImmadiUdachappanayaka sheltered him in this fort. Later, in 1833 AD, Hirenayaka of Kanakagiri was defeated and killed by Surapura’sPamanayaka, who fought on behalf of the Hyderabad Nizam, marking the end of Nayaka rule in Kanakagiri. Today, the Hemagudda Fort is famous for the grand Navaratri and Vijayadashami celebrations held at the Durga Devi Temple. The festivities include religious discourses, special rituals, community feasts (dasoha), and a grand procession of the Durga idol in a decorated Ambari (Howdah) atop an elephant.