Magadi

Magadi was the seat of the Kempe Gowda family west of Bangalore, with a fort and temples set amid the hills of the Karnataka plateau. After losing Bangalore, the family established itself here and held the nearby hill stronghold of Savandurga. The family had built its power around Bangalore before withdrawing to Magadi. The Ranganathaswamy temple at Tirumale and the fortified hills recall the local chiefs who governed the country under and after Vijayanagara.

In 1728 Devaraja, commander of the Mysore ruler, attacked Magadi and forced its chief to surrender. Savandurga and the wealth accumulated by the family also fell into Mysore’s hands. The defeated Kempe Gowda was taken to Srirangapatna as a prisoner, ending the family’s long rule over Magadi.