Gin Gee

Gingee Gingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district (erstwhile South Arcot district) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km. Gingee is famous for its Gingee Fort, a popular tourist attraction. The Fort in Gingee was built by the Chola dynasty in 13th Century. In 1638, Gingee came under the control of Bijapur Sultanate from Vijayanagar. In 1677, it was under the control of Maratha king Shivaji. In 1690, it changed to be under Mughal, under whose rule it became the headquarters of Arcot. It changed hands to the French in 1750, and then to the British in 1762. In the 18th century, it was occupied again by the French for 11 years. During this time, many sculptural aspects of Gingee were shifted to Pondicherry by the French. The Rajagiri Fort was built in 1200 AD. It is 1 km away from Gingee Market. It is made up of saffron and Black rock. Currently, the fort includes a magazine, gymnasium, palace site, audience hall, stable, Clock tower, granary, treasury in Indo-Islamic style, storehouse for grains and an elephant tank. In the West Entrance, Venu Gopalaswami Temple, Ranganath Temple of Vijayanagar Kings, Kalyan Mandap, Sadatulla Khan's Masjid (1717-18), Mahabbat Khan's masjid. Bath tubs with continuous supply of water, a huge cannon, belong to the temple on the top of the fort near Chakrakulam-Kunda (reservoir) or water a wonderland of treasure for the tourists. To visit Gingee fort, guides are availbale from archeological office which is on the way to fort. The office is open for visitors from 9:00 to 17:00. more……

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingee

Gingee Fort Gingee Fort also known as Chinji or Jinji in Tamil Nadu, dates back to the 9th century when the Cholas had a very strong hold on it. Gingee with its province extending from Nellore in the north to the Coleroon (Kollidam)

in the south. But the fort as it looks today is the handiwork of the Vijayanagar kings who made it an unconquerable monument. This fort is one of the few surving forts in Tamil Nadu and is much more popular for its temples than forts. This fort lies in Villupuram district, 160 km (100 mtrs) from the state capital, Chennai and is close to the union territory of Pondicherry. History According to local legend, Gingee Amman, was one of the seven virgins who were the guardian deities of the Village. Around 1200 Ananda Kone, the chief of the local shepherd community, fortified this fort. In 1240 A. D. Krishna Kone, his successor is said to have fortified the northern hill, which later came to be known as Krishnagiri. The kone dynasty gave way to the kurumbars, who established their headquarters at Sendamangalam, which later came under the powerful Chola Empire. Recorded history goes back to the 16th century, when Gingee became the seat of the Nayaka rulers, who were under the lordship of the expanding Vijayanagar Empire. Krishnadevaraya appointed Krishnappa Nayaka, and he was considered the founder of the Nayaka line of Gingee. Most of the structures, fortification walls and temples were built during this period. Surrounded by high walls, it was so strategically planned as to make enemies think twice before they attacked. The fort was built as a strategic place of fending off any invading Muslim armies. Strongly guarded by a triple gate beyond which lay equally heavily guarded courts, the summit of the Rajagiri could not have been easily attained by any of the enemies. The fortifications and defenses were further strengthened under Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler in 1677 A. D., who recaptured it from the Bijapur sultans who had originally taken control of the fort from the Marathas. Mostly during the 1690`s, this fort was under a constant siege by the Mughals, who were unable to enter the fortress for over a decade, before finally coming under their control. Gingee came under the hegemony of the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb in 1691 A. D., and Sarup Singh was appointed as the chief of Gingee by the emperor, under the control of the Nawab of Arcot. When Sarup Singh`s son Raja De Singh, revolted against the Nawab of Arcot, he was defeated and killed in the war that followed. Then Gingee became a part of the Nawabs territory in 1714 A. D. However, It was later passed on to the Carnatic Nawabs who lost it to the French in 1750 before the British finally took control in 1761 despite losing it to Hyder Ali for a brief period. A place of great historic interest, this fort was so well fortified that Shivaji ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India" and the British called it the "Troy of the East". However, after the fort passed into British hands, it did not see any further advancement and was declared as a National Monument in 1921 and was under the Archeological Department. Recently the Tourism Department of India has tried to popularise this remote and oft forgotten fort in Tamil Nadu. Gingee today, with its ruined forts, temples and granaries, presents a different picture from the glorious splendor of its bygone days. But the remains

of that glorious past, speak volumes about the numerous invasions, warfare and bravery that it witnessed. Source: http://www.indianetzone.com/3/gingee_fort.htm