Nothing arrests the attention of a traveller in India more than the appearance of the innumerable ruined fortresses and other vestiges of ancient glory that lie scattered all over the country. Each mournful relic has got its own tale to tell of the ruthless vandalism of the foreign invader, the bitter violence of internecine warfare or the languishing inertness of successive dynasties of Indian rulers. Up in the north-western corner of the district of South Arcot, extending for about fourteen or fifteen miles, in the centre of the newly-formed taluk of Gingee, are several hills whose summits are very jagged, each consisting of a central stratified rock covered with huge rounded boulders devoid of all vegetation.
The fortress of Gingee consists of three separate citadels situated on rocky eminences, with a lower fort at their base connecting them. The three hills are called Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, and Chandrayandurg. There is also a fourth hill known as Chakkiliya durg.
The strongest and the highest of the hills is the Rajagiri, also called the Great Mountain. On account of its precipitous height, the hill ought to have been totally inaccessible before it came to be fortified. This rock is 500 to 600 feet high at its top levels; and on the summit of it, rising above the ridge is the innermost citadel surrounded by strong walls that render an escalade impossible except on the north flank.
The Citadel and Its Features
The citadel can be reached by a fortified path and a narrow bridge. Seven gates have to be traversed before reaching the citadel. Alongside the path to it is a grove of trees in which are a reservoir and a shrine to the Goddess Kamalakanni Amman. This goddess is one of the seven guardian Virgin Deities of the place.
On the top of Rajagiri there is a temple dedicated to God Ranganatha though the sanctum is now empty. Besides, there are a mantapam built in the Vijayanagara style of architecture, two big brick granaries, a masonry flagstaff and a strongly built chamber that perhaps served as the treasury of the fort. A spring of clear water under two big boulders served the needs of the garrison.
The Lower Fort
In the lower fort are found the ruins of the Venkataramanaswami Temple whose original tall graceful monolithic pillars are said to have been carried away to Pondicherry by the French. The stone car-stand at Sittamur nearby is also said to have been built of stone-pieces dismantled from the Venkataramanaswami temple of Gingee.
The most admirable carvings in the Venkataramanaswami temple are found in the panels on either side of the gateway under the entrance; and they depict well known scenes from the Ramayana, from the different incarnations of Vishnu and the Puranic legend of the churning of the ocean of milk by the Devas and the Asuras.
The Kalyanmahal
To the east of these buildings is situated the Kalyanamahal, which is easily the architectural treasure of the place and the most conspicuous and attractive monument. The Mahal consists of a square court surrounded by rooms for the ladies of the Raja’s or governor’s household; and in the middle of the rooms rises a square tower of eight storeys with a pyramidal roof.
The plan of each storey is the same and consists of a single room about 8 feet square, surrounded by a verandah built on arches from which very narrow and steep stairways lead both upwards and downwards. The Kalyanamahal is of the age and style of the Vijayanagara school.
Water Supply System
One of the most singular features of the fortifications is the abundant water supply ensured for the inmates in all parts including the hills. There are two natural springs on the top of Rajagiri, one near the gate-way to the citadel and the other on the summit of the rock. The quality of water obtained in these is said to be excellent and refreshingly cool.
Krishnagiri Hill
Going next to Krishnagiri, the hill lying to the north of the Tiruvannamalai road, we find that it is smaller in size and height than Rajagiri. A flight of steps of hewn granite pieces carries us to its top where are to be found several stone-built granaries and mantapams, an empty shrine to God Ranganatha, and the king’s audience hall.
These buildings are marked by a curious style of architecture including some traces of Islamic influence. The domed roof of the audience-chamber is supported by graceful and pointed brick-arches; and under the dome is a square platform equipped with a pillar at each corner and encircled on all sides with embrasured windows and comfortable window-seats.
Singavaram Rock-Cut Shrine
Any account of Gingee should include a notice of the rock-cut shrine of Singavaram situated two and a half miles from the fortress. Singavaram is a good specimen of the South Indian type of the rock-cut shrine. It is approached by a steep flight of steps.
The recumbent deity, God Ranganatha, is said to have been the tutelary god of Raja Desing. The image was hewn out of living rock and is about 24 feet long and is in the usual reclining posture, lying on the coils of the serpent Ananta. According to popular ballad of Raja Desing, when the hero requested the God’s blessing before proceeding to fight against Sadatullah Khan, the Nawab of Arcot, in 1714 A.D., the deity did not permit him to go to the battle and turned his head aside as a mark of his disapproval of Desing’s head-strong haste.
The Origin of the Name Gingee
The Tamil name Senji with the popular appellation of Gingee has been variously derived. It is supposed to have had its origin from Sanjivi, the famous panacea of Hindu mythology; it has been explained as the combination of two roots meaning pleasure and giving; the name has also been traced to Singavaram, a neighbouring Vaishnava shrine, whose god is supposed to be the guardian deity of the place.
Local tradition has another explanation to offer. The legend runs that seven virgin sisters who once lived here—one of them being Senjiamman—were threatened with a violation of their chastity; and though rescued from danger by a valiant man named Madikora Virappan, they could not survive the insult offered to them and so committed suicide. Their spirits are even now believed to be haunting the place and considered the genii loci.
According to accepted tradition, Gingee had an earlier name known as Krishnapura. This name was possibly given to it by its first ruling dynasty, who were of the shepherd class and whose tutelary deity was the Lord Sri Krishna; or it might have received that name under its powerful ruler, Krishnappa Nayak.
The Bijapur authorities who held the fort from about 1600 to 1677 called it Badshahhad, while the Marathas who succeeded them called it Chandry or Chindy. The Mughals, on their capture of the fort in 1698 after a long siege, named it Nasrat Gaddah in honour of Nawab Zulfiqar Khan Nasrat Jang, the commander-in-chief of the besieging army.