TN's Gingee Fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gingee Fort, or Senji Fort, the largest fort in Tamil Nadu, covering 2,700 acres and three hillocks in the Pakkamalai range in the Villupuram district, has been named a World Heritage Site by (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
It is among the 11 forts built, adapted, or expanded by the Marathas between the late 17th and early 19th centuries that have been clubbed together as the Maratha Military Landscapes, and declared as 44th UNESCO World Heritage Site of India.
The fort now joins the Great Living Chola Temples (the Brihadisvara temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, and the Airavatesvara at Darasuram), the monuments at Mamallapuram, and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as
UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in the state.
Tamil fort or Marathi fort... the debate continues
While many have welcomed UNESCO's move to honour the historical site, some have pointed towards the logical fallacy in calling it a Maratha military landscape, especially since the fort predates the Marathas.
The history
The construction of the Gingee Fort is said to have begun by Ananta Kon of the Konar dynasty, who built the initial citadel around 1190 AD, followed by Krishna Kon, who fortified it further in 1240 AD. Enhancements were later made by the Nayaks from the Vijayanagara Empire, the Marathas, and the Mughals, among others.
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From Indian to Thanga Meenkal... History on screen
The fort has been featured in several Tamil films. The song Kappaleri Poyachu ( Indian , 1996) was shot at the fort, and so were the numbers Kokku Meena Thinguma ( Kovil , 2004) and Vaa Nanba ( Saatai , 2012). The fort was also prominently featured in the movie Thanga Meengal (2013).
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