Chitradurga

[6] Chitradurga features bold rock hills and picturesque valleys, with huge towering boulders in numerous shapes.

According to the epic Mahabharatha, a man-eating Rakshasa named Hidimba and his sister Hidimbi lived on the hill.

The boulders on which a major part of the city was developed belong to the oldest rock formation in the country.

Timmanna Nayaka, a chieftain under the Vijayanagar Empire, was appointed as governor of Chitradurga as a reward from the Vijayanagara ruler for his excellence in military services.

Madakari Nayaka's son Kasturi Rangappa (1602) succeeded him and consolidated the kingdom to rule peacefully.

The subjects of Chitradurga suffered through the brief reigns of the successive rulers, which resulted in volatile conditions.

A chance sighting of a woman entering the Chitradurga fort through an opening in the rocks led to a clever plan by Hyder Ali to send his soldiers through the hole.

Obavva, the wife of that guard, was passing by the hole to collect water, when she noticed soldiers emerging into the fort.

Obavva was carrying an Onake (a long wooden club meant for pounding paddy grains).

She killed Hyder Ali's soldiers one by one as they attempted to enter the fort through the opening and moved the dead.

Though Obavva saved the fort on that occasion, Madakari Nayaka could not repel another attack in 1779 by Hyder Ali.

Chitradurga city is well connected to Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Davanagere, Hubli, Hospet, Bellary, Shimoga, Tumkur, Bijapur, Belgaum by road and through railways.

There are several Wind-Power based power plants located around Chitradurga and most of the hills are embellished with wind mills which can be seen while entering the city.

After Hyder Ali illegally Captured the fort from the last ruler of Chitradurga Madakari Nayaka in the year 1779.

[24] Chandravalli caves is located amidst three hills namely Chitradurga, Cholagudda and Kirubanakallu.

These caves are a never-ending maze of steep steps that lead into passageways, rooms and ante-rooms where kings from the Kadamba, Satavahana and Hoysala dynasties resided.

An opening in the rocks of Chitradurga fort that was used by Hyder Ali for an attempted invasion by his soldiers. This was defeated by Obavva.