High tourim potential Ratnagiri fort is in ruins

ANANTAPUR: Ratnagiri, known as Seema Golconda due to its exclusive structures in the fort in Rolla mandal in Satya Sai district, remained for long in a stage of neglect. The historical fort, now in ruins, is located close to the Karnataka border with the historic importance it gained during the Pandyan and Chola dynasties and later, in the hands of Hyder Ali.

Local volunteers were making efforts to protect such monuments from hidden-treasure hunters. The Ratnagiri fort gained prominence for its hidden treasures because it is believed that after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, famous poet Allasani Peddana in Sri Krishna Devaraya’s regime migrated to Ratnagiri along with numerous Brahmin families.

The  fort on the hills has different kinds of attractions and structures that attract tourists and researchers in the Rayalaseema region. The historians seek official recognition for Ratnagiri, in order for it to be developed as a major tourism centre. But, the pleas remained on paper.

Activist Paramesh and his team along with villagers were making efforts to protect the monuments of Ratnagiri. A big Kalyani in the fort attracts tourists because of its exclusive care. It was built as a swimming pool for the queen. The queens' bath area also has a Brindavan of Lord Krishna, for her to  offer poojas soon after the bath.   

The volunteers of Ratnagiri Charitable Trust have also brought to limelight another ‘Kalyani’; named Pala Bavi, a milky well of five centuries old, a year ago. The silt was removed and the well was cleaned and made use of, for use of devotees of the Kolhapuramma Goddess temple.

“Even as the drought-hit area remained parched for many decades and the bore wells and wells dried up, the Pala Bavi always had enough water for the devotees to perform their traditional rituals. The well has never dried up”, Rathnagiri Charitable Trust member Paramesh observed.