Hosdurg Fort

Hosdurg Fort (transl. New fort), also known as Kanhangad Fort, is a fort in Kanhangad in Kasaragod district of Kerala, India.[1] Somashekara Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty of Ikkeri built the fort.

The place is made well known by the Nithyanandasram with 45 caves.[2] To the south-west of the fort is a temple that was also built by the Nayaks. The temple, dedicated to Shiva, is named the Poonkavanam Karpooreswara Temple.[3]

History

Hosdurg Fort was constructed in the early 18th century by Somashekara Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty to consolidate their control over northern Kerala after defeating the Kolathiri chieftains.[4] The fort’s strategic hilltop location allowed the Nayakas to monitor coastal trade routes and defend against regional rivals. A square watchtower and seven round bastions provided observation and overlapping fields of fire.[5] In 1763, Hyder Ali’s forces overran the region, and later, following his defeat in 1799, the East India Company assumed control, using the fort as a local administrative post until its decline in the mid‑19th century.[6]

Architecture

Hosdurg Fort occupies a low hillock and is constructed almost entirely of finely dressed laterite stones set in lime mortar, characteristic of Keladi Nayaka military works of the 18th century.[4] Its roughly square plan is strengthened at each corner by imposing round bastions that once supported battlements and provided overlapping fields of fire.[4] A massive rectangular watchtower rising from the southeastern rampart and reached by a stone‑hewn ramp commands panoramic views, while broad wall‑walks link the bastions and enabled rapid troop movements around the perimeter.[6] Internally, vestiges of vaulted chambers and stone‑flagged courtyards hint at the fort's dual role as a defensive stronghold and administrative centre under the Keladi Nayakas.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hosdurg Fort | Incredible India". www.incredibleindia.org. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  2. ^ Kerala with Lakshadweep. Outlook Publishing. 2005. p. 81. ISBN 978-81-89449-01-8.
  3. ^ "Hosdurg Fort, builty by Ikkeri Nayakas at Kasaragod | Forts in Malabar districts". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Puthiya Kotta (Hosdurg)". Kerala State Archaeology Department. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Hosdurg Fort: A Timeless Landmark in Kanhangad, Kerala". FlyCNN. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Hosdurg Fort – Tales of the forgotten past". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Hosdurg Fort". DTPC Kasaragod. Retrieved 5 July 2025.

12°18′33″N 75°05′38″E / 12.309297°N 75.093801°E / 12.309297; 75.093801

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.