Hosdurg Fort

Kanhangad, India

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Hosdurg Fort, also known as Puthiyakotta or Kanhangad Fort, is located in Kanhangad, Kasaragod district, Kerala. Built in the early 18th century by Somashekara Nayaka of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty, it served as a strategic military fortification to protect trade routes and assert control over northern Kerala after conquering the Kolathiri chieftains.

The fort features a roughly square layout with imposing round bastions and a large rectangular watchtower, connected by wall walkways for troop movement. The walls are made from finely dressed laterite stones typical of Nayaka architecture, and the site includes vaulted chambers and stone-flagged courtyards.

Nearby are the Karpooreshwara Temple dedicated to Shiva and the Nityanandasram Ashram with 45 caves, adding religious and cultural significance. The fort later came under Hyder Ali and the British before falling into decline in the mid-19th century.