Namakkal Fort

 

Namakkal Fort is a historic fort present in Namakkal district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The fort is located in the centre of Namakkal town over a hillock made of single rock named Namagiri. The fort is located on the top of the rock, 75 metre (246 ft) tall,  offering splendid views of the entire town.

 

The fort was built during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai in 17th century. It is reported to have been built by Ramachandra Nayakar, the Poligar of Sendamangalam, during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak. The fort was captured by the British from the Mysore king of Hyder Ali. He reconquered it, but had to lose again to the British in 1792.

 

 

The fort is made up with well-cut blocks of the same stone as the hill and cemented to the rock by mortar. The higher portions of the fort are held by their own weight and accurate fitting. There is a Narasimha Murthy temple and a mosque that are located within the fort, both of which are popular tourist attractions of the town. There are eight water tanks in and around the fort, of which Kamalalayam tank, the famous among them, is located at the centre of the Namakkal town. In modern times, an 8 ft image of Hanuman is reinstalled on the fort, facing the Narasimha image on the top of the fort. The fort is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

 

 

The hillock is also referred to as Namagiri, because of its connections with Hinduism, and in particular with the epic Ramayana. Belief has it that the hillock was carried by Lord Hanuman. When He was flying towards the south with a stone that He had found on Nepal, He happened to see the Kamalalayam tank and decided to have a bath and His morning prayers here. According to the legend, it was here that Goddess Lakshmi had come for penance, after Lord Narasimha Swamy slayed King Hiranyakashyap. 

 

It is best to visit here from November to February when the climate is pleasant.