Tam: கிருஷ்ணகிரி kiruṣṇakiri
‘Krishna Hill’ Tamil Nadu
From Krishnadevarayar and Skt: giri, ‘mountain’, ‘hill’, ‘rock’
Krishnagiri Fort was built by Krishnadevarayar, a 16thC Vijayanagara Emperor.
He reigned from 1509 to 1529 when the Empire was at its peak (the largest in India at that time). This has given him iconic status as a Hindu ruler, a victor in many battles against the Empire’s enemies and South India’s greatest ever king.
Krishnagiri Fort sits on top of a bald rocky mound, making access and attack extremely difficult: the British tried and failed twice (1767 and 1791).
The town is called the ‘Mango Capital of India’: it produces 300,000 tonnes annually for local processing and export.
The ruins of Krishnagiri Fort and Temple Sakthibalan
Krishnadevaraya statue at Srikakulam (Krishna District, Tamil Nadu) Srikar Kashyap
