Chandragiri

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For other places with the same name, see Chandragiri (disambiguation).

Raja Mahal Palace, Chandragiri

Chandragiri is a town in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh state in southern India. It is famous for the historical fort and the Raja Mahal (Palace) within it, built by rulers of the Vijayanagara empire. In the 16th century, the Aravidu dynasty of Vijaynagar shifted their capital from Hampi to Chandragiri. The 11th century fort that existed, was renovated. They were later defeated by the Golconda sultans in the 17th century and Chandragiri Fort was taken over by them.

The site of the fort is protected and developed as a tourist location by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. Tourist attractions at the fort include a sound and light show which recounts the history of the fort. This 'must see' Sound and Light show is performed every evening after sunset in the local language (Telugu) and English. Tourists can also enjoy boating in a lake right next to hill slopes. The beautiful Raja Mahal Palace is now an archeological museum and is a memorable window into the historical legend of Chandragiri.

Chandragiri is at a distance of 12 km from Tirupati city, home of the famous temple of Lord Venkateshwara and is about 130 km north west of Chennai. The best way to visit Chandragiri is to take a Taxi from Tirupati, which city is connected to the rest of India by road, rail and air transport.

There is a fort in Kerala bearing the same name – see Chandragiri Fort