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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Devanahalli Fort
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = village
| image_skyline = Devanahalli fort entrance 2007.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Entrance from inside, Devanahalli Fort
| pushpin_map = India Karnataka
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Karnataka, India
| coordinates = {{coord|13.24960|N|77.70939|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Karnataka]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Bangalore Rural]]
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| unit_pref = Metric
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| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Kannada]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
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'''Devanahalli Fort''' is located 35 kilometers (22 mi) north of Bangalore city, at Devanahalli in the State of Karnataka, India. Chieftain Malla Byre Gowda of Avathi, a [[Vijayanagara empire]]<nowiki/>vassal, built a mud fort in c. 1501 at Devanadoddi (now called Devanahalli). In the late 18th century, [[Hyder Ali]] re-constructed the fort in stone resulting in the current structure.

It was originally built in 1501 by Mallabairegowda,<ref name="tipusultan">{{cite web|url=http://www.tipusultan.org/even18.htm|title=A frozen moment of history|publisher=tipusultan.org|access-date=2009-01-19|archive-date=31 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131034819/http://tipusultan.org/even18.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="deccanherald">{{cite web|url=http://archive.deccanherald.com/content/Mar112008/spectrum2008031056592.asp|title=A forgotten fort?|date=11 March 2008|publisher=deccanherald|access-date=2009-01-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406020105/http://archive.deccanherald.com/content/Mar112008/spectrum2008031056592.asp|archive-date=6 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="karnatakatourism">{{cite web|url=http://www.karnatakatourism.org/nature_arround_NandiHills.htm |title=Around Nandi Hills |publisher=karnatakatourism.org |access-date=2009-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119161343/http://karnatakatourism.org/nature_arround_NandiHills.htm |archive-date=19 November 2008 }}</ref><ref name=Iyer-Forts>{{cite news|last1=Iyer|first1=Meera|title=A tale of Bangalore and its four forts|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/357444/a-tale-bangalore-its-four.html|access-date=2 February 2015|issue=Bangalore|publisher=Deccan Herald|date=11 September 2013}}</ref> which remained in the hands of his descendants until the mid–eighteenth century. In 1749, the then Dalwai of [[Mysore]], Nanjarajaiah, attacked the fort and [[Military occupation|occupied]] it.
Later, the fort passed into the hands of [[Hyder Ali]] and subsequently [[Tipu Sultan]].<ref name="deccanherald" /> In 1791, [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|Lord Cornwallis]] laid [[siege]] to the fort and took possession during the [[Anglo-Mysore Wars|Anglo-Mysore War]].

The birthplace of [[Tipu Sultan]], also known as ''[[Tiger]] of [[Mysore]]'', is located near to the fort.<ref name="citizenmatters" /> The fort is situated on the side of [[National Highway 7 (India)|National Highway 7]], near the [[Bengaluru International Airport]].

An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) board outside the fort and at Tipu Sultan's birthplace declares them to be protected monuments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050320/asp/look/story_4510885.asp|title=On another plane|date=20 March 2005|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=India|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_karnataka_bangalore.asp|title=Alphabetical List of Monuments — Karnataka — Bangalore|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref>

==History==

The history of Devanahalli dates back to 15th century, when a family of fleeing refugees from Conjeevaram (modern day [[Kanchi]]), camped near the foot of Ramaswami betta, east of [[Nandi Hills, India|Nandi Hills]]. Their leader Rana Baire Gowda was apparently directed in a dream to set up a settlement in this region. He and his ''Morasu Wokkalu'' family settled in a small village, Ahuti, which was later known as Avati. His son Malla Baire Gowda founded Devanahalli, Chikka-ballapura and Dodda-ballapura. [[Kempegowda I|Kempegowda]], the founder of Bangalore city is also from ''Morasu Wokkalu'' family.<ref name="citizenmatters" />

Devanahalli was part of [[Western Ganga Dynasty|Gangawadi]] and later came under the rule of [[Rashtrakuta Dynasty|Rashatrakutas]], Nolamba, [[Pallavas]], [[Cholas]], [[Hoysala Empire|Hoysalas]] and the [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]] rulers. During the time of Vijayanagara rule, Malla Baire constructed the initial mud fort in 1501 AD with the consent of Devaraya at Devanadoddi, the previous name of Devanahalli. In 1747 AD, the fort passed into the hands of the [[Wodeyar]]s of [[Mysore]] under the command of Nanja Raja. It was conquered many times from the [[Marathas]] and later came under the control of [[Hyder Ali|Haider Ali]] and [[Tipu Sultan]].
[[File:Devanahalli Fort 11.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Fort entrance]]
Tipu also renamed it as Yousafabad (the abode of Yousuf, the finest man) which never got popular.<ref name="wordpress">{{cite web|url=http://ellakavi.wordpress.com/2006/10/21/devanahalli-here-a-star-was-born-birthplace-of-tipu-sultan/|title=Devanahalli:: Here, a star was born :: - Birthplace of Tipu Sultan|date=March 2005|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref> The fort finally fell into the British, under [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|Lord Cornwallis]] in 1791, during the [[Anglo-Mysore Wars|Mysore War]].

==Architecture==

<ref name="bangalorerural">{{cite web|url=http://bangalorerural.nic.in/tourism.htm|title=Bangalore Rural District : Devanahalli Fort|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref><ref name="columbia">{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1700_1799/tipusultan/haidarali/haidarali.html|title=Hyder Ali|publisher=columbia.edu|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref> Fort is spread over an area of 20 acres (8 ha).<ref name="deccanherald" /> The roughly oval east oriented fortification veneered with dressed masonry has as many as 12 semi-circular bastions at regular intervals. A spacious battlement is provided towards the inner side of the fortification. The fort has entrances decorated with cut plasterwork at the east and west. The entrances are quite small, comfortable enough for the horses of yore. The bastions are provided with gun points built with lime and brick.

The house in which Tipu and Hyder Ali lived also still exists. The house of Dewan Purnaiah, a high-ranking official in Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan's court, is also located inside the fort.<ref name="wordpress" />

[[File:Tipu Birth place 6854.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

==Tipu's birthplace==

[[File:Tipu Birth place 6858.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
A memorial with a small plaque stands {{convert|150|m|yd|abbr=on}} south-west outside of the fort, stating that Tipu Sultan was born here in 1751.<ref name="tipusultan" /><ref name="deccanherald" /><ref name="citizenmatters">{{cite web|url=http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/320-from-kempegowda|title=From Kempegowda to Tipu and now, BIAL |date=6 Aug 2008|access-date=2009-01-19}}</ref> It is about six feet (2 m) tall with a pillared enclosure and square top and bears a stone tablet.<ref name="bangaloreruralDevanahalli">{{cite web|url=http://bangalorerural.nic.in/devanahalli.htm|title=Brief History of Devanahalli|access-date=2009-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309130833/http://bangalorerural.nic.in/devanahalli.htm|archive-date=2009-03-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The area around the enclosure is known as ''Khas Bagh'' and has a dried up stone pond, banana, tamarind and mango plantations.

==Temples inside the fort==

[[File:Devanahalli Fort Venugopalaswamy temple 6849.jpg|thumb|200px| Venugopalaswamy temple]]
The small town inside the strong walls of Devanahalli fort has many temples. The [[Venugopalaswamy Temple, Devanahalli|Venugopalaswamy temple]], which faces the main town road is one of the oldest among them. The courtyard, with a ''Garuda Stamba'', is spacious and the walls of the temple depict various scenes from Ramayana and the feats of Lord Krishna as a child, and the pillars have beautiful statues carved on them. The sculptures in this temple is said to be comparable to the temples of Belur and Halebid. On the pillars of the main entrance stand two horsemen with swords unsheathed. The [[Garbhagriha]] has a standing Venugopala image of [[Vijayanagara style]]. There is a Dravidian style [[Shikhara]] over the temple. The Navaranga has four black-stoned pillars carved with fine relief sculptures on all sides, such as ''hayagriva,'' dancing female figures with attendant musicians, a conch blower, a [[kinnara]] with the lower portion of his body in bird form, a huntress removing a thorn from her leg, etc.
A ''teru'' is the big chariot used to parade the idol of Gopalaswamy around the town once a year.

A few yards away from the Venugopalaswamy temple is Siddalingeshwara temple. Next to this temple is a ''Raghavendraswamy Math''. Across the street is another age old temple, Chandramouleshwara Temple. It has a spacious inner ''[[prakara]]'' and is built in [[Vijayanagara]] style. The Garbhagriha has a ''[[shivalinga]]'', and there are two cells on either side with idols of lord [[Ganapati]] and goddess [[Parvati]] enshrined respectively. On the left of the main road stands another temple dedicated to [[Anjaneya]] known as Sarovaranjaneya temple.

The Nanjundeshwara temple is a small building with two cells in a line and a common ''[[navaranga]]''. It is said that this was earlier called Kashi Vishveshwara and is regarded as the oldest temple in the town.

<gallery>
File:Devanahalli Fort 6828.jpg|Fort walls
File:Devanahalli Fort 6832.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6837.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6839.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6843.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6851.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6852.jpg
File:Devanahalli Fort 6853.jpg
File:Devenhalli Fort 5212.jpg|Devenhalli Fort - Panoramic view through SE
File:PANORAMA Devanhalli fort 20120908 085408.jpg|Devenhalli Fort Panorama
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Devanahalli Fort}}

{{Forts in Karnataka}}
{{Forts in India}}

[[Category:Forts in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Bangalore Rural district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bangalore Rural district]]
[[Category:History of Karnataka]]
[[Category:1501 establishments in India]]

Devanahalli Fort - Revision history

Delinker at 13:48, 31 July 2023