Gadwal

Gadwal grew around a fort in the dry country between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. It was the seat of the Gadwal samsthan, a local ruling house whose authority later stood within the dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Temples within the fort include a shrine to Chennakesava, while the town became known for its skilled handloom weavers.

The fort is associated with the ruler Somanadri, who made Gadwal his seat. The chiefs maintained a court in the Deccan amid the shifting fortunes of Golconda, Mughal rule and Hyderabad. Their household supported religious institutions and literary activity, giving the small principality a cultural life of its own. The town’s textile craft also joined cotton and silk in distinctive woven garments, a tradition associated with Gadwal beyond the limits of its former territory.