Anumakonda Fort
The Anumakonda Fort was the citadel of the early Kakatiya capital. Mud walls join a circle of hills, and two stone gateways lead through the walls.
- Period
- Early Kakatiya, late 11th century (attributed)
- Commissioned by
- Beta II (attributed)
- Materials
- Earthen walls joining granite hills, with stone gateways
- Location
- 17.9969° N, 79.5700° EWarning: approximate
Source of the position: The midpoint of the Padmakshi temple (Wikidata Q19894997) and the Siddhesvara temple (OpenStreetMap way/280058222), which both stand inside the old citadel
- Condition
- Remains of the walls and gateways survive, according to Parabrahma Sastry and Rama Rao.
A stone gateway at Hanamakonda, known locally as the old Kakatiya Kala Thoranam. Two tall monolithic posts carry a single stone lintel. Gopalakrishna Murthy describes high stone arches like this at the entrance and exit of the Hanamakonda fort.
Detail
- Rama Rao describes a wide gap in a chain of hills. High mud walls join two big hills and two small hillocks into a fortress.Rama Rao 1966
- A stone gateway leads into the citadel between two hills. A second gateway stands opposite it in another mud wall.Rama Rao 1966
- The Padmakshi hill forms one side of the citadel. The Padmakshi and Siddhesvara temples stand within the enclosure.Rama Rao 1966
- Gopalakrishna Murthy credits Beta II with the mud wall and with the high stone arches at the entrance and exit of the fort.Gopalakrishna Murthy 1964
- Gopalakrishna Murthy sees these arches as the start of a Kakatiya tradition of grand gateways. In his view the effort began at Hanumakonda, improved at Kolanupaka and Ainavolu, and culminated in the four toranas of Warangal.Gopalakrishna Murthy 1964
- A large relief of Chamunda is carved on a boulder on the north side inside the fort.Gopalakrishna Murthy 1964
- The 1976 district gazetteer counts the hill fort at Hanamkonda among the famous Kakatiya strongholds.Warangal District Gazetteer 1976
- Malik Kafur seized the hill of Anumakonda in January 1310. Amir Khusrau says that every building of Warangal was visible from the hill.Elliot & Dowson IIIYazdani 1960
- Parabrahma Sastry counts the Betesvara and Prolesvara shrines among the early temples of Anumakonda, with the remains of an old fort. The Kazipet Darga inscription places Sivapura, the village of the Betesvara temple, south-west of Anumakonda.Parabrahma Sastry 1978Parabrahma Sastry 1975 (thesis)
Also recorded as
- Anumakonda
- Anmakonda
- Hanamakonda fort
- Hanumakonda fort
- Giri Durga
- Hanmantgiri
- An Makinda