Guntur: The ancient hilltop Kondaveedu Fort is all set to get a makeover, making it more ‘tourist-friendly’. Cottages, a five star hotel, zoo, fitness clubs, auditorium, children’s park, sports arena and amusement centres will come up on the hilltop, if plans by the state government are implemented.
The first steps towards implementation of these plans is to lay a proper road to reach the historic fort, the absence of which is acutely felt by the visitors climbing up using the damaged stairway.
About 80 per cent of the 3.5 km road for the “international-level tourism centre” has been completed. The road, once completed can be an absolute delight to traverse on, due to the lush forest.
The Kondaveedu fort had always been a favourite tourist spot, especially on Saturdays, Sunday and other public holidays, but the absence of amenities had been a major grouse of the visitors.
The Hyderabad Digital Photography Club arranges trekking and sightseeing tours to Kondaveedu fort, along with several other institutions and organisations.
ISKCON has started Butter Krishna golden temple project in the fort’s vicinity, and this will help attract more visitors.
Since the under-construction road goes to the hilltop but there is no way to reach the fort from there, the Kondaveedu Development Committee has asked government to lay extension road to the fort taking permission from forest department.
On Saturday, J. Ravindranath, a visitor said that they have to walk at least 3 km to reach the fort. KDC convener K. Siva Reddy said that Kattula Baavi and other temples have vandalised by treasure hunters. He added that renovation works are under progress to switch Kondaveedu fort as the main tourism centre of Amaravati.
Minister P. Pulla Rao said that the government will lay the extension road and it would be completed in the next two months. Mr Rao said that the planned cottages, hotel, zoo, clubs etc., would require about 873 acres of land and hence the government will obtain clearance from the forest department and start the work.
Fort was coveted by many dynasties
Kondaveedu fort is the only ancient fort in Guntur district that still has monuments existing. Situated about 13 km from Guntur, the fort was built by Anapotha Reddy in 1250 AD and developed by Ana Venkata Reddy and Prolaya Vema Reddy.
There were three forts on the hilltop, two of them unnamed. Historians Roy Chaudhuri and Amol Majumdar say that the fort was considered impregnable and spread across 30 hillocks during the rule of Gajapathis.
Interestingly, Palnadu region faces water scarcity but the Vedulla Cheruvu on the fort has water; animals quench their thirst from the lake. Unfortunately, the fort was neglected for decades and valuable monuments destroyed by the thieves.
Kondaveedu was once the capital and it was ruled by Reddy dynasty, Vijayanagara kings, Muslim rulers of Bahmani kingdom, Golconda sultans, Quli Qutb Shah, French colonists and the British.
It was once named Murtuza Nagar during the rule of Qutb Shah. There were two entry gates, Nadella Darwaza and Kolepalli Darwaza, and three ponds —Mutyalamma Chervu, Puttalamma Cheruvu and Vedulla Chervu.
