Gingee

Gingee செஞ்சி
town
View of Gingee fort
Nickname(s): Gingee Fort
Gingee Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 12°09′N 79°18′E / 12.15°N 79.30°E / 12.15; 79.30Coordinates: 12°09′N 79°18′E / 12.15°N 79.30°E / 12.15; 79.30
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Villupuram district
Government
• Type	Tamil Nadu
Elevation	92 m (302 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• Total	422,880
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	TN-16

Gingee (Senji) is a panchayat town in Villupuram district (erstwhile South Arcot district) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away and Thiruvannamalai, 39 km. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km.

Gingee is famous for its Gingee Fort, a popular tourist attraction. The Kon dynasty laid the foundations for the Gingee Fort in 1190 AD. The fort was later built by the Chola dynasty in the 13th century. In 1638, Gingee came under the control of Bijapur Sultanate from Vijayanagar. In 1677, it was under the control of Maratha king Shivaji. In 1690, it came under the Mughals, when it became the headquarters of Arcot. It changed hands to the French in 1750, and then to the British in 1762. During this time, many sculptural aspects of Gingee were shifted to Pondicherry by the French.

To visit Gingee fort, guides are available from archaeological office which is on the way to the fort. The office is open for visitors from 9:00 to 17:00.

The founding of the Kon dynasty provides the launching of Gingee as a fortified royal center. The Gingee country then came under the rule of the Hoysalas in the later part of the 13th and in the first half of the 14th century. From the Hoysalas it passed on, by relatively easy efforts, into the hands of the first rulers of Vijayanagara empire. The Vijayanagar dominion gradually expanded over South India and divided the administration into three important provinces, which were under the control of Nayaks. These were the Nayaks of Madurai, Nayaks of Tanjore and Nayaks of Gingee. Information about the Gingee Nayaks and their rule is very scanty. It is said that Tupakula Krishnappa Nayaka (1490 to 1521) of a Chandragiri family was the founder of the Nayaka line of Gingee kings. He seems to have ruled gloriously all over the coast from Nellore down to the Coleroon up to 1521 AD. Under the Nayaks the forts were strengthened and the town was greatly enlarged.