Hosdurg Fort
Hosdurg Fort or Hosadurga Fort (transl. New fort), also known as Kanhangad Fort, is a fort in Kanhangad in Kasaragod district of Kerala, India.[1][2][3] Somashekara Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty of Ikkeri built the fort.
The place is made well known by the Nithyanandasram with 45 caves.[4] To the south-west of the fort is a temple that was also built by the Nayaks. The temple, dedicated to Shiva, is named the Poonkavanam Karpooreswara Temple.[5]
History
Hosdurg Fort was constructed in the early 18th century by Somashekara Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty to consolidate their control over northern Kerala after defeating the Kolathiri chieftains.[6] The fort’s strategic hilltop location allowed the Nayakas to monitor coastal trade routes and defend against regional rivals. A square watchtower and seven round bastions provided observation and overlapping fields of fire.[7] In 1763, Hyder Ali’s forces overran the region, and later, following his defeat in 1799, the East India Company assumed control, using the fort as a local administrative post until its decline in the mid‑19th century.[8]
Architecture
Hosdurg Fort occupies a low hillock and is constructed almost entirely of finely dressed laterite stones set in lime mortar, characteristic of Keladi Nayaka military works of the 18th century.[6] Its roughly square plan is strengthened at each corner by imposing round bastions that once supported battlements and provided overlapping fields of fire.[6] A massive rectangular watchtower rising from the southeastern rampart and reached by a stone‑hewn ramp commands panoramic views, while broad wall‑walks link the bastions and enabled rapid troop movements around the perimeter.[8] Internally, vestiges of vaulted chambers and stone‑flagged courtyards hint at the fort's dual role as a defensive stronghold and administrative centre under the Keladi Nayakas.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ "Hosdurg Fort | Incredible India". www.incredibleindia.org. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ "Hosdurg Fort at Kanhangad | Kasaragod | Kerala Tourism". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Loading..." www.avathi.com. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ Kerala with Lakshadweep. Outlook Publishing. 2005. p. 81. ISBN 978-81-89449-01-8.
- ↑ "Hosdurg Fort, builty by Ikkeri Nayakas at Kasaragod | Forts in Malabar districts". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Puthiya Kotta (Hosdurg)". Kerala State Archaeology Department. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ↑ "Hosdurg Fort: A Timeless Landmark in Kanhangad, Kerala". FlyCNN. Retrieved 5 July 2025. Cite error: Unknown parameter "flycnn"" in
<ref>tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page). - 1 2 "Hosdurg Fort – Tales of the forgotten past". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ↑ "Hosdurg Fort". DTPC Kasaragod. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
12°18′33″N 75°05′38″E / 12.309297°N 75.093801°E
