Hyderabad: The famed Elgandal fort in Karimnagar, which was partly restored, is now overrun by wild grass and weeds due to poor maintenance. The fort is located 10 km from Karimnagar and 170 km from Hyderabad.
“There is absolutely no maintenance. Many parts of the fort are full of tall grass. There are 10 wells in the fort but they are unapproachable due to thick vegetation,” said Ms Anuradha Reddy, co-convener, Intach Telangana Governor Council.
Experts of the state department of archaeology and museums restored the fort with funds from the the 13th Finance Commission. A portion of the fort was cleared for the inauguration of a sound and light show.
“We took up restoration of arch and other works. But such a large fort needs regular maintenance. Shortage of funds is root cause for the problem,” an official said.
Originally called Veligandula fort on the banks of Manair river, the fort was built during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty (1083-1323 AD) and ruled by Musunuri Nayaks, Recharla Padmanayaks and others. Qutb Shahis occupied the fort in 16th century followed by Mughals and Nizams.
