Nickpol

It's so nice to see a town that I call my native place being placed right in the centre of this train's indicator board. Gooty is the place where my father was born and grew up. This sign represents a railway directional guide at Gooty Junction railway station, indicating how the train lines branch out to major cities from this station. Located in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, Gooty is a critical four-way junction where these major railway routes intersect. It visually maps out the strategic geographic connections of Gooty Junction, helping passengers understand which directions the tracks split toward India's major metro hubs. Gooty town is historically significant primarily due to the Gooty Fort (also known as Gooty Kota or Gowthampuri), one of South India’s oldest and most strategically vital hill fortresses. The site dates back to around the 6th to 7th century AD. Early inscriptions on the fort walls reference the Western Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya VI (1076–1126 CE), and the area witnessed clashes between the Western Chalukyas and the Cholas (under Vira Rajendra). The fort served as a major stronghold and regional headquarters tied to early Vijayanagara rulers like Bukka Raya and later Krishnadevaraya (1509–1529), who expanded and reinforced its defenses. Following the decline of Vijayanagara, the fort fell to the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda during the reign of Venkata II (around 1584–1614) and later passed under Mughal control after Aurangzeb captured Golconda. In the 18th century, the famous Maratha general Murari Rao Ghorpade made Gooty his permanent base and residence, heavily fortifying the citadel. His pavilion ("Morari Rao's Seat") perched atop the highest point remains a key landmark. The Ghorpades of Sandur are direct descendants of Murari Rao Ghorpade. Hyder Ali of Mysore besieged the fort, forcing Murari Rao to surrender after water supplies ran out. It later passed through the hands of Tipu Sultan before being taken over by the British. It's associated with the famous Sir Thomas Munro, who used parts of the ruins as administrative and prison quarters. He imprisoned all the rebellious polygars in Gooty Fort. #Gooty #nativeplace #History