Gandikota

Gandikota stands on the right bank of the Penna River, above the gorge from which its name is drawn. An early earthen fort was built here by a subordinate of the Kalyani Chalukya rulers, and the Kakatiyas later ruled the place through their own subordinates. Under the Pemmasani Nayakas the village grew into a major fortified settlement.

The fort subsequently became a seat of the Golconda Sultanate, whose rulers added buildings in Islamic architectural styles. A copperplate inscription dating from the sixteenth century records part of its history, and the French traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier visited Gandikota during his journey through Golconda. The walls and buildings preserve the marks of the successive powers that held this commanding site above the river.