Chandragiri Fort

chandragirifortChandragiri fort is situated in Kasaragod district. This fort is bordered by the Chandragiri River and it is very beautiful to see this fort bordered by river. This fort was constructed in the 17th century and has a total area of 7 acres. The fort made of laterite stones is square shaped and is around 46 meters in length.

The history behind the Chandragiri fort is that the river was the border to two main kingdoms of the earlier period namely the Kolathunadu and Thulunadu. The Thulunadu was conquered by the Vijayanagara Empire and the Chandragiri region came under their control. When the Vijayanagara Empire declined, the conquered area was controlled by the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri. In the 16th century with the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Shivappa Nayaka became the ruler of the independent Chandragiri. It was him who constructed the series of forts including Chandragiri. The forts were built mainly for defense purposes. This fort then came under the control of Hyder Ali and then finally in the hands of the British.

The fort has two sides that face the sea with the watch tower facing the north direction. There are underground passages in the east and west directions. There are 8 view towers with holes in them for huge guns. The sea route can be viewed well through these holes. The view of the river, sea and the sunset is extremely beautiful. One can take ride in a boat to the nearby islands and the palm groves. This fort is now protected by the State Archaeological Department.

How To Reach

District Kasaragod
Near Bus Station Kasaragod bus station at a distance of 4 kms
Near Railway Station Kasaragod railway station
Near Airport Mangalore International Airport at a distance of around 50 kms