Forgotten Fort of Gingee!

Gingee Fort - apart from being a unique architectural feat is one of the few forts in the State of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is famous for its temple architecture and it has reached its peak during the times of Raja Raja Chozhan itself. Gingee town is surrounded by several hills made of barren volcanic rocks.

 

This fort has two main entrances to it, namely, the Arcot or Vellore gate and the Pondicherry gate. The fort of Gingee has existed for several hundred years. They say this fort was built during 15^th and 16^th century by Nayaks. 

 

 

Several dynasties are connected with the history of Gingee fort - Vijaynagar Maharajas, Shivaji Maharaj, Nawabs of Arcot, Tipu Sultan, the French and British. However, the legend of the fort is most popularly connected with the story of Raja De Singh, perhaps the only Rajput ruler to have ruled in Tamil Nadu. 

 

The fort at Gingee was declared a National Monument in 1921 and it came under the Archeological Survey of India. The Tourism Department of Tamil Nadu can popularize this remote and oft-forgotten fort. Gingee today, with its ruined forts, temples and granaries, presents a different picture from the glorious splendor of its golden days. But the remains of that glorious past speak volumes about the numerous invasions, warfare and bravery that it witnessed!