Kondavidu

Kondavidu, or Kondaveedu, rose above the Andhra plain as a major stronghold of the Reddi rulers after the collapse of Kakatiya power in 1323. Successive powers sought the hill fortress because control of its walls could secure a foothold in the surrounding country. Its inhabitants relied on reservoirs including Mutyalamma Cheruvu, Puttalamma Cheruvu and Vedulla Cheruvu, maintaining water supplies above the plain.

The fortress later passed into the contests between the Gajapati rulers of Odisha and Vijayanagara. Krishnadevaraya captured it on 23 June 1515 after a prolonged siege. The prisoners included the Gajapati prince Virabhadra and other commanders; a pillar inscription at Mangalagiri records the victory. Krishnadevaraya then visited Amaravati and continued toward further conquests. Kondavidu's story joins the practical demands of a hilltop garrison with the campaigns through which rival kingdoms tried to command the fertile lowlands of coastal Andhra.