Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort, Trichy
Tiruchirappalli
Rockfort is a historic fortification and temple complex built on an ancient rock. It is located in
the city of Tiruchirappalli in Trichy
District of Tamil Nadu. It is
constructed on 83 metres (272 ft.) high rock that may date to over one
billion years ago. There are three Hindu temples inside, Manicka Vinayagar
Temple at foot hills, Uchi Pillaiyar Temple at Hill Top and
the Thayumanaswami Temple at mid hill.
Other
attractions include the famous Pallava-era Cave Temples in the mid of the hills and Madurai Nayak-era fort. The fort complex has witnessed fierce battles
between the Madurai Nayakas and Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, Carnatic
region and Maratha
Imperial forces. The fort played an
important part during the Carnatic
Wars, helping lay the foundations of the British
Empire in India. The Rockfort is the
most prominent landmark of the city.
History
The name
"Rockfort" comes from frequent military fortifications built here,
first by the emperors of the Vijayanagara Empire and later by the British
Empire during the Carnatic Wars. The
oldest structure in the fort is a cave temple built by the Pallavas in 580. During
the Chola period, the nearby town of Woraiyur was their capital, but the
Pallavas did not keep control of this strategic city and lost it to the
Pandyas. The Cholas reasserted themselves in the 10th century. Trichy continued
to be in their possession until the decline of the empire, after which it
became a Vijayanagara stronghold.
In the mid-14th
century, the region was controlled by the Delhi
Sultanate after Malik
Kafur's raid on South
India. They were ousted and the region
came under the control of Vijayanagara. During the early part of the 16th
century, the region came under the control of the Madurai Nayaks, who were the
earlier governors of Vijayanagara Empire. However, it was under the Nayaks of
Madurai that Tiruchirappalli prospered in its own right and grew to be the city
that it is today. The Madurai Nayaks constructed the Rock Fort Temple Lake
along with major walls as foundations, establishing the town as a trading city
and later, their capital.
The fort
palace also witnessed the transfer of power from Queen Meenakshi to Chanda
Sahib, as he ruled in conjunction with
the alliance with the Kingdom
of France. He lost this command when his
uncle, the Nawab of the Carnatic along with the British, seized the fort after the
Carnatic wars. This enabled the British to gain a foothold in Tamil
Nadu and later all of South India. In modern times, the
fort is maintained and administered by the Chennai Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India. The fort is one of the prominent tourist destinations
in Tamil Nadu.
Major Battles:
Nayak Era:
As the
Rockfort was the capital of the Madurai
Nayaks, the fort has witnessed fierce
battles. One of the largest was the Battle of Toppur for supremacy between
the Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara and the Madurai Nayaks. The former
won, with support from the rulers of Mysore and Thanjavur in the 16th century. Later, the Nayaks faced fierce
attacks from Adil Shahi and Imperial Maratha troops. The Fort complex formed
the northwest territory to the Nayaks. During their two-century rule, they had
occasional skirmishes with their neighbours, the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom, and, more frequently, with the invading Adil
Shahi, Kingdom of Mysore, and Imperial Maratha armies.
Carnatic Nawab Era:
During
the midcentury, Chanda Sahib, aided
by the French, made this fort his home base. He battled with the
combined forces of the Carnatic
Nawab and British. He was defeated in the Carnatic wars and was forced to
cede his lands to the British.
British Era:
In the
late 18th century, Hyder Ali was
a major threat to the British, as were the French who were still fighting for
their colonial supremacy in this region. By now, the town was firmly
established as a Cantonment town
and the fort's gate was known as main guard gate. Robert
Clive lived near the tank when he
was in Tiruchirappalli.
Rock Fort
Complex
The rock
is said to be one of the oldest formations in the world. It is 3.8 billion
years old, making it as old as the rocks in Greenland and older than the Himalayas. Quartz, used in glass making, and feldspar, used in ceramics, are found in this rock formation. As the name
suggests, the Rock Fort Temple Complex is
situated on 83-meter-high outcrops. The Pallavas initially built
this temple, but the Nayaks made use of its naturally fortified position and
designed it again. It is a long climb up the 344 steps cut into the stone to
the top.
The
temple complex in the fort complex is a collection of three functioning Hindu Temples
and Pallava Era Cave Temples:
Connectivity
Rockfort
is located at about 5 Kms from Trichy Central Bus Stand, 1.5 Kms from Chatiram
Bus Station, 5 Kms from Trichy Railway Station, 4 Kms from Woraiyur, 14 Kms
from Thiruverumbur, 4 Kms from Srirangam, 7 Kms from Thiruvanaikoil, 6 Kms from
Trichy and 10 Kms from Trichy International Airport. Lots of buses ply from
both Central & Chathram bus stands of Trichy. One can get down at Main
Guard Gate or Teppakulam to reach Rockfort.
