GUNTUR: Much to the delight of the history buffs and tourists, a historical and cultural gallery was thrown open at Kondaveedu hilltop. Ruled by Reddy Kings, Vijayanagara Kings, and Bahamas, Nizams, French, and East India Company, the history of the Kondaveedu Fort in Palnadu dates back to the Satavahana period and is the most famous tourist spot in the State.
Keeping in view the surge in footfall in the past few years, the officials decided to set up a photo gallery in an open space. As many as 17 large boards have been set up with details of the history of the fort and how the culture evolved during the reign of each dynasty.
The information about the location of the Kondaveedu fort, the kings who ruled the fort, and the major historical, cultural, and literary developments are mentioned on the boards.
Speaking to TNIE, Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee convenor Kalli Sivareddy said that the aim of setting up this open gallery is to provide correct information to the tourists. “I observed that many people have different and wrong assumptions about the history of the fort. So, this gallery would help them. The information printed on the boards is bilingual to facilitate the tourists and beautiful pictures are also present on the boards to attract the viewers and children,” he added.
Sivareddy further stated that as the Kondaveedu fort comes under forest area, construction of any kind of building or gallery hall is not permitted.
“The tourists visit Kondaveedu to spend some time away from the concrete jungle, enjoying the weather and fresh air. So, in order to provide a better experience to the tourists, we decided to set up an open gallery,” he added.
Benches were arranged under the shade of a large tree in the open gallery where the visitors could sit and read the information on the boards without any inconvenience. We are hopeful that this will get a huge response from the tourists, especially history lovers, Sivareddy added.