CHENNAI: The centuries-old walls of Gingee Fort are seeing a steady stream of visitors, with tourist footfall continuing to climb in recent years, from a mere 2,680 in 2021-22 to 1.69 lakh in 2025-26, the highest in the last five years. Its UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2025 has brought renewed attention to the monument, with more than 92,000 visitors already making their way there in the first six months of the current financial year.
Located in Villupuram district and spread across the three hills of Rajagiri, Krishnagiri and Chandragiri, Gingee Fort is popularly known as the “Troy of South India”. For visitors today, the fort offers imposing fortifications, panoramic views from Rajagiri and Krishnagiri, the seven-storey Kalyana Mahal, temples with intricate carvings and massive water tanks, including the Elephant Tank.
Heritage awareness speaker Sivasankar Babu, who was part of the team supporting the fort’s World Heritage certification process, said references to Gingee can be traced to the Vikrama Cholan Ula, written by royal court poet Ottakoothar. The poet refers to a Kadava chieftain who controlled the Senji region around 1120-1135 CE as “Senji Kon”.
The fort was then much smaller. Later, rulers of the Konar dynasty developed the fort infrastructure between 1190 and 1310 CE, said Babu. “Under Vijayanagara rule, the Gingee Nayak fiefdom was established in 1490, alongside Thanjavur and Madurai Nayak territories. The Nayaks expanded the fort with granaries, the Kalyana Mahal and outer walls,” he added.
Babu said the Marathas captured Gingee from the Bijapur Sultanate in 1677. In 1689, Rajaram, the second son of Shivaji, made Gingee his remote capital after fleeing from Maharashtra. Mughal forces laid siege to the fort, but it took eight years of warfare before they captured it. The final battle of Raja Desingh in 1714 remains part of local folklore.
“Later Arcot nawabs, the French and the British maintained the fort but they did no major change,” said Babu.
In July 2025, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” on the World Heritage List, recognising an integrated military defence system that used terrain and fortification design to control territory and protect trade. Of the 12 forts included in the serial nomination, 11 are in Maharashtra, while Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu is the only one outside the state.
With visitor numbers rising, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is strengthening tourist facilities.
“Looking at the increase in tourists, more battery-operated vehicles have been deployed and a baby care room has been created. We are planning to construct an interpretation centre and cafeteria to meet the needs of tourists. A new toilet complex will also come up,” said Sushanta Kumar Kar, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Chennai Circle.
According to ASI data, 1,69,421 visitors, including 1,757 foreigners, visited the fort in 2025-26 — the highest in the five-year period. The fort had recorded 1,58,886 visitors in 2023-24, almost double the 75,473 visitors recorded in 2022-23. In 2024-25, the footfall was 1,56,260. The upward trend has continued into the current fiscal.
Between April 1 and September 28, the fort recorded 92,589 visitors, including 234 foreigners. May recorded the highest monthly footfall at 21,547, followed by August (19,452 visitors). Additional drinking water and toilet facilities are also being planned to cater to the growing number of visitors.
