The 10th century hilltop fort of Nizamabad, also called the Nizamabad Quila, was built by the kings of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The majestic structure is located at the Nizamabad district headquarters, about 170 km from Hyderabad and 15 km from Dichpally on National Highway 44 (earlier NH7) on the Hyderabad-Nagpur route.
A bit of history:
The fort was occupied, by Allaudin Khilji among others, who succeeded the Bahamanis, Qutub Shahis and lastly by the Asaf Jahis. Even today, the influence of Asaf Jahi architecture is apparent in the halls and summer houses built within the fort.
Quite a few architectural modifications were made to the original fort over the centuries. The fort is known for its historical significance as well. A few religious sites are situated within the precincts of the fort. There is a Sri Rama (Raghunatha) Temple inside the fort compound and is very popular among local residents.
In fact, the temple was built by the Indian warrior, Chatrapathi Shivaji, on the orders of his guru, Samartha Ramadasji. The temple comprises vast corridors, mandaps and mahamandaps. Also found are certain artefacts from the ancient Jain dynasty. Visitors find a lot of peace and satisfaction in the Dhyana Mandir, with its automatic air cooling system, traditional kitchen and other interiors spaces of those days.
The entrance of the fort is a huge stone-arched gate. There is a 40-foot-high monolithic victory pillar inside the fort that is also built during the Rashtrakuta era. The first gate was built to prevent elephants carrying logs from entering and breaking the gates. While widening the roads, the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation demolished the other welcome arches that led to the fort.
The fort covers a huge area surrounded by walls with high towers at the corners. Visitors climbing to the topmost point of the fort get a panoramic view of the entire town and the surrounding places of Nizamabad.
Another place of interest in the fort is the “Ganda Deepam” (large lamp) on a rock pillar at the south-west side of the fort. It is believed that the people of Nizamabad and its surrounding villages lit their lamps while watching this Ganda Deepam at one time. The Muslim rulers built a mosque within the premises of the fort as well. The fort has a lot of huge mango and tamarind trees too. There are huge rocks and boulders within the precincts of the fort making it a great place for rock climbers.
The fort also once contained a jail where the prisoners were confined and punished. It also has beautiful gardens where the queens once spent their time and the Birbouti hunting area where the kings hunted. There is also evidence of underground secret passages from the fort leading to a village called Dichpally in the Sarangapur region. Invest some time to explore the fort and you can actually visualise the fort in its prime.
Travel time to nearby places
The “must-see” tourist attractions in and around the Nizamabad fort are; Dichpally Ramalayam, which is 12 km from the fort. Sarangapur Hanuman Temple, Madhavanagar Saibaba Temple, Alisagar Park, Ashoksagar, and the Kanteshwer temple.
For your taste buds
Bring your own food and water. There is no facility for refreshments and the few eateries that do serve food at the Nizamabad Fort may not suit every palate. However, reroute to the fort, in Nizamabad town, one will come across good hotels offering a wide variety of cuisines.
