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Chitradurga Fort ( ), or as the British called it Chitaldoorg, straddles several hills and a peak overlooking a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort's name Chitrakaldurga, which means 'picturesque fort' in Kannada, is the namesake of the town Chitradurga and its administrative district.
The Fort was built in stages between the 10th and 18th centuries by the dynastic rulers of the region, including the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas as well as the Nayakas of Chitradurga, feudal lords in the Vijayanagar Empire. The Nayakas of Chitradurga, or Palegar Nayakas, were most responsible for the expansion of the fort between the 15th and 18th centuries. They were defeated by Hyder Ali at Chitradurga in 1779. Later the fort was expanded and strengthened by Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan,who succeeded Madakari Nayaka V, the last ruler of the Nayaka clan. The fort is built in a series of seven concentric fortification walls with various passages, a citadel, masjid, warehouses for grains and oil, water reservoirs and ancient temples. There are 18 temples in the upper fort and one huge temple in the lower fort. Among these temples the oldest and most interesting is the Hidimbeshwara temple. The masjid was an addition during Hyder Ali’s rule. The fort's many interconnecting tanks were used to harvest rain water, and the fort was said to never suffer from a water shortage.
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![Jyoti Raju has an unusual set of skills to entertain visitors at the Chitradurga Fort in India's southern state of Karnataka. His ability to jump from one rock to another and to scale walls or any man-made height without any aid has earned him the title, "Monkey King." His swift, smooth, efficient and direct moves resemble those in Parkour, a mixture of acrobatics, sport and martial arts that is quickly catching on with youngsters in Western countries. Twenty-three-year-old Raju started practicing this new form of acrobatic art only four years ago. He was facing a major turning point in his life and was contemplating jumping off a cliff. But rather than committing suicide, he was inspired by the relative ease and physical strength of monkeys. Now Raju has mastered his craft by studying his favourite animals. The kinship he has developed with the creatures in the Chitradurga Fort area has earned him the new name of "Kothi Raju." [Jyoti Raju, "Monkey King"]: "In Chitradurga they call me 'Kothi Raju' in Karnataka, meaning Monkey King in English and Bandar Raja in Hindi. I got this name when I started imitating maneuvers of monkeys while jumping and climbing up trees and walls." He now wants to popularize his art among kids and is looking for help from the government or individuals. [Jyoti Raju, "Monkey King"]: "I want to start a mobile van club to give practice to children and, thereby, highlight the name of my country in this genre of adventure. I am looking for support to <b>...</b>](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3oKdaQVxFPM/0.jpg)
