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The 'Gooty Kaifiyat' records that fort was captured by Mir Jumla and was subsequently under the charge of Qutub Shahi chiefs. It was taken over by Haider Ali in 1773 and eventually fell into the British hands. After the attack of British Col. Browser, who took over the fort, found it to be commanded by a Zeruwar Khan, a Brahmin who became Muslim. The fort is situated at a height of 300m above the plains in Gooty. |
The citadel of the fort is constructed on the westernmost circle of hillocks. It is a huge precipitous mass of bare rock and towers over the adjacent ones.
The fort is approached by a paved path leading first to an outlying spur strongly fortified and known in former days as 'Mar Gooty'. After passing through the fortifications, the pathway winds upward round steep sides of huge rock and reaches the summit where the citadel or 'qila' is situated.
The fort is built in shape of a shell and having 15 forts with 15 main doors ('Mukhadwaralu'). The fortifications include a series of walls connected by 14 gateways flanked by bastions. None of the buildings in the fort is of any architectural importance. There are two edifices, apparently a gymnasium and a powder magazine, and a small pavilion of polished lime stone called Morari Rao's seat, on the edge of the cliff. This commands excellent view of the town below and is said to have been a favourite resort of Morari Rao. There are also number of wells in the clefts of the rock. One of them is believed to have been connected with a stream at the foot of the hill.