Savandurga: A Historical Chronicle

Savandurga.—A mountain in the Magadi taluq, 7 miles south-east of the kasba, and familiarly called the Magadi hill. It is an enormous mass of granite, rising to 4,024 feet above the level of the sea, and standing on a base eight miles in circumference. The summit consists of two peaks, separated by a chasm, each being independent of the other, and abundantly supplied with water. One is called the Kari or black peak, the other the Bili or white peak.¹

Prehistoric Era and Early Settlement

Col. B. R. Branfill documented several kistvaens (tombs or burial chambers) around foothills of Savandurga, estimated to be from the early iron age, which could mean as early as 1300 BC or about 3300 years ago.²

I have been fortunate enough to see some of these remaining dolmens located to the north of the hill.

Kistvaens at Savandurga

At the foot of the Savandurga hill-complex, particularly in an area called Iṭṭige-bailu (Brickfield), Branfill discovered an extensive megalithic burial complex dating to the early Iron Age. The site featured numerous stone circles ranging from 19 to 30 feet in diameter, containing kistvaens (stone burial chambers) of varying sizes. These burial chambers were constructed using thin stone slabs to form rectangular chambers, typically oriented east-west, and covered with massive capstones.

Pottery from the Kistvaens at Savandurga

The excavation of several kistvaens revealed a wealth of artifacts and burial practices. The chambers contained pottery of various types (both fine and coarse, polished and plain, red and black), iron weapons including spearheads and arrowheads, and human remains. One notable burial contained a skeleton with an unusually thick skull showing signs of a partially healed fracture. The burial chambers also yielded numerous ceramic vessels, some with distinctive markings, and horn-shaped pottery vessels of unknown purpose.

Iron weapons from the Kistvaens at Savandurga

The sophistication of the artifacts, particularly the well-preserved iron weapons and skillfully crafted pottery, suggests these were not the burials of "wild savages" but of a technologically advanced society that practiced complex funeral rites. The presence of both cremation and inhumation burials, along with the careful placement of grave goods, indicates elaborate burial customs. The site's significance is enhanced by its strategic location near Magadi, an area historically known for iron production. ²

Political and historical significance

While the place has almost no political significance these days. But it was a stronghold back in the day. It was one of the hill-forts in the Kingdom of Mysore.

As per recorded history here's a chronological list of who controlled the fort at Savandurga.

Hoysala Empire under Veera Ballala III
Vijayanagara Empire
Kingdom of Mysore under the Wodeyars
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan
The British

The Hoysala Empire

The oldest written record mentioning Savandurga mentions it as Sāvandi. ³ ⁴

Date 1340 A.D.

(On the date specified), when vîra-Ballâla-Dêvarasa was ruling the kingdom of the world :— Kâya-daṇṇâyaka's son Balapa-Nâyaka's soldier Mâdambal̥a Danti-Seṭṭi's son Alappa, being attacked in the Sâvandi road by robbers, fought in the...country, and took svargga by force.

There's no specific mention of a fort in the records, but it is presumed that there must have been some fortifications at Savandurga during this time.

The Vijayanagara Era

The hill appears to have been first fortified in 1543 by Sámanta Ráya, the officer appointed to the charge of the Magadi district by Achyuta Ráya, the king of Vijayanagar. Taking advantage of the feebleness of the government, and relying no doubt on the natural strength of his position, he made himself independent, and took up his residence on the droog, with a force of 8,000 men, officered by 8 gurikars. He died in 1571 and was succeeded by his son Sampaja Ráya. He ruled for 17 years, and was followed by his son Chikka Ráya, who, after a rule of 16 years, threw himself in a fit of madness into the chasm and was drowned, leaving no issue. Ganga, the talári, or watchman of Gudamarnhalli, seized the place and began plundering in order to enrich himself. But Immaḍi Kempe Gauḍa of Bangalore put him to death, secured the stronghold for his own family, and changed its name from Sámanta-durga to Sávana-durga. He soon had need of the retreat, being driven out of Bangalore by the Bijapur army. His descendants held Sávandurga till 1728, when Deva Rája, Dalavayi of Mysore, obtained possession and carried Mummaḍi Kempe Gauḍa, the chief, prisoner to Seringapatam, where he ended his days, the last of his line. The name of Krishnarája-giri then given to the droog has not survived.

B. Lewis Rice notes that the fortifications were first made in 1543. But it could be that there were fortifications already during Hoysala times and were strengthened by Sāmanta. ¹

Here's a list of people in control during this period:

Samanta Raya [reign ~1543-1571]
Sampaja Raya (son of Samanta Raya) [reign 1571-1588]
Chikka Raya (son of Sampaja Raya) [reign 1588-1604]
Ganga (the talari or watchman of Gudamarnhalli) [reign 1604-]
Immaḍi Kempe Gauda [early 1600s]
Mummaḍi Kempe Gauda [till 1728]*

So Samanta Raya and his descendants controlled the fortifications at Savandurga between 1543 and ~1604.

For a brief period a watchman was in control.

*Since the Vijayanagara Empire had already declined by mid-late 1600s, the Kempegowdas independently controlled the fort until 1728.

Nelapattana

There's a mention of a subterranean town at the foothills of Savandurga in a newspaper article. A town supposedly built by Kempegowda's successor to protect from Muslim invasions. ⁵

While B. Lewis Rice mentions Nelapattana in his works, I haven't yet found more details about this "underground" town - its purpose, construction, and history.

Nelapattana has a revealing etymology in Kannada however: 'nela' (ನೆಲ) means ground/earth and as a prefix can mean 'underground', while 'pattana' (ಪಟ್ಟಣ) means town. Thus, Nelapattana (ನೆಲಪಟ್ಟಣ) literally translates to 'underground town'.

The Kingdom of Mysore under the Wodeyars

In 1728, Kempegowda III lost control of the fort at Savandurga to the Wodeyars of Mysore -- Dodda Krishna Raja, also referred to as Krishnaraja Wodeyar I. ¹

Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan

Hyder Ali rose to power within Mysore and around 1760 he effectively became the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. And Savandurga was an important part of this kingdom.

After his death, Tipu Sultan, Hyder's son got control of the fort.

Sometime during this period (post-1760s), the fort of Savandurga had improvements made to respond better to the modern siege technology of the time.⁶

The British

Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Ross reconnoitered Savandurga on November 29th, 1791, identifying a northern approach as most viable for attack.

In December, Lord Cornwallis's forces began their siege by cutting a week-long path through thick bamboo forests to position their artillery.

From December 17th, multiple British batteries began bombarding the fort walls to create breaches.

On December 21st, under Lieutenant-Colonel Nesbitt's command, British forces launched a coordinated attack:

Captain Gage led the assault on eastern hill (Karigudda).
Captain Monson secured the western hill (Biligudda).
The entire assault took just one hour.
Over 100 defenders were killed. And British suffered only one casualty from friendly fire.
The swift capture of this supposedly impregnable fortress dealt a significant blow to Tipu Sultan's prestige
This victory contributed to ending the Third Anglo-Mysore War.

After this ultimately the British were still in control of the fort, but after Tipu's death, the Wodeyars came back into power under a subsidiary alliance with the British.

The fort of Savandurga held some relevance under the Wodeyars for atleast until the 1840s or even later. Eventually descending into irrelevance as a relic of an era. ⁷

Current Day

Much of the fortifications at Savandurga are in ruins now. Weathered by time, the weakened mortar giving away, in a country where history is a tool of political convenience, Savandurga fort’s brick and stone walls slowly crumble away. The stories hopefully will remain. ⁷

Temples at the base of are visited by the locals and The Karnataka Forest Department through Aranya Vihaara allows trekkers to go up Karigudda and Basvanadurga (the trek is called Bidirukatte).

The trail that's mostly inside the fort walls at Biligudda opens only once a year during Vinayaka Chaturthi for devotees for the pooja at the carving of Lord Ganesha.