Rachakonda Fort is located in Rachakonda, Narayanapoor Mandal, Nalgonda District, Telangana State, India. At a distance of around 60 km from LB Nagar, after crossing the famous Ramoji Film City, there comes the Rachakonda, a remote forest area.
In between the lush jungles and various rock formations, this area also houses the famous Rachakonda Fort. For those interested in history, this fort is a visual delight to those who love history, architecture, forests, interesting rock formations, and tribal life even though it is in ruin today.
It was built in the 14th century. Rachakonda Fort was the capital of the Rachakonda region. It was first ruled by the Kakatiyas and then it was taken by the Padma Nayaka dynasty. Later it was conquered by Muslim Bahmani Sultanate in 1433 AD. Qutub Shahi and Nizams have also ruled Rachakonda Fort.
The architecture of Rachakonda Fort belongs to the medieval Hindus. The fort structure is made of large stones irregular in size and indefinite shape. The fort is constructed only with rocks without using Mortar.
The exterior walls of the fort are built with stones and the interiors are layered with mud. It was one of the most prominent structures during the medieval era.
Rachakonda Fort has now become an excellent weekend spot for outings for people in Hyderabad. One has to climb the hill to reach the fort and people would be impressed with the nature surrounding the fort.
Some facts about Rachakonda Fort
The history of Rachakonda Fort dates back to the 14th century. It was constructed by Recherla Singama Nayak, the founder of a new clan of kings (previously serving the Kakatiya dynasty rulers as military commanders since the 12th century) and governing the territory of Rachakonda.
Driving in the Rachakonda area would also be an enchanting experience as one gets an opportunity to witness green jungles and tribal hamlets, 20 ancient temples located on either side of the curvy roads at a time.
Near Choutuppal on the way to the fort, one can get to visit Sarala Maisamma temple, a tribal goddess, near Allapur. Many people come to visit Sarala Maisamma temple as its location is close to Hyderabad. It can be reached easily from Gudimalkapur village.
After crossing Sarala Maisamma temple, one can find about 20 interesting ancient temples and other interesting structures constructed by Rachakonda rulers in the vicinity of a few kilometers.
The construction of temples, boundary walls on the hill, and other structures were engineering excellence as they had used the Cyclopean Masonry style (used no mortar and roughly fitted the rocks together), which was predominately used by the rulers during the medieval Indian period.
The Recherla Padmanayakas also worshipped shiva like Kakatiyas. Hence, most of the temples constructed in this area belong to Shiva. The Bhoothan temple, the Siva temple, and the Veerabhadra Swamy temple were among them.
Recently, an eight-foot-high Sivalingam was unearthed by a farmer in the vicinity of these constructions. This place has become a place of worship attracting many devotees every day.
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The fort is surrounded by a massive 15-foot boundary wall. On the left side of the fort, one can find two historical Sri Rama temples. The locals celebrate Sri Ramanavami in a grand way every year.
One can also find two naturally carved water tanks and many other interesting structures in and around the fort. The visitors from Hyderabad are advised to take a short-cut route via via-LB. Nagar-Ibrahimpatnam- Manchala headquarters-Tippaigudem village-Rachakonda fort.
Modes of Transportation
One can reach Rachakonda Fort from Hyderabad by taking Nagarjunasagar Highway up to Ibrahimpatnam (20 km). After traveling about 7 km in Manchala village, take a road to Tippaiguda (4 km) and the fort is just 2 km away.
