ð Nadigudi Fort – A 150-Year-Old Citadel Reborn as a Treasure Trove of Knowledge
Munagala Samsthanam Fort | 2.5 Lakh Rare Books | 1 Lakh Palm-Leaf Manuscripts | Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute (DACRI)
From Fort to Fortress of Knowledge: Built in 1870, the Nadigudi Fort was originally the seat of the Munagala Samsthanam, a powerful zamindari that ruled over the Munagala Paragana (province). Its most prominent ruler, Raja Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao, was a visionary who modernised agriculture, promoted handloom weaving, established a free school for his ryots, and patronised Telugu literature. He also supported the freedom movement, famously inviting Pingali Venkayya to stay at the fort, where the designer of India’s national flag drew its first sketches.
After decades of neglect following the abolition of zamindari, the fort was handed over to the Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute (DACRI) in 2020. Under the leadership of its director, Kurra Jitendra Babu, the 150-year-old structure was renovated and converted into a research centre. The collection includes rare books and manuscripts that, according to the director, would take 200 years to translate and print. The fort now also serves as a venue for the Telangana History Congress and other academic events.
ð The Munagala Samsthanam – A Zamindari of Culture and Reform
The Munagala Samsthanam was one of the prominent zamindaris of the Madras Presidency. Its rulers belonged to one of the oldest and most renowned Reddi families of the Northern Circars. The samsthanam's territories included Munagala, Nadigudi, and surrounding villages.
ð Raja Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao (born 1879): Taking charge of the estate in 1900, he was a progressive ruler who took great personal interest in indigenous industries, especially handloom weaving. He opened a fly shuttle loom factory, sent a student to Japan (Kyoto) to learn advanced weaving and dyeing techniques, and maintained a free primary school at Nadigudem for the benefit of his ryots. He also aided in the publication of a History of Japan in Telugu, started an experimental farm for sugarcane, and played a key role in founding the Vijnana Chandrika Mandali (1907), a Telugu publishing house that modernised Telugu literature by translating Western works.[reference:0][reference:1]
ðŪðģ The Birth of the Tricolour – Pingali Venkayya’s Room at Nadigudi
During the freedom movement, Raja Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao extended his hospitality to Pingali Venkayya, the designer of the Indian national flag. Venkayya had attended the AICC session in Calcutta (1906) under Dadabhai Naoroji and was inspired to design a flag for the Indian National Congress. The Raja invited him to Nadigudi, where Venkayya was assigned a dedicated room – known locally as “Venkayya gari gadi” – with adequate material to design the tricolour. It was within these walls that the first flag took shape, before it was presented to Mahatma Gandhi.
ðŠķ Enduring Relics: During renovation in 2019, DACRI director Kurra Jitendra Babu discovered a century-old wooden table, a chair, and two ink bottles that were used by Pingali Venkayya. These artefacts are now preserved in the research centre as a tribute to the freedom fighter. Just 20 days before independence, the Constituent Assembly adopted the tricolour designed by Venkayya with the Ashoka Chakra in the middle.[reference:2][reference:3]
ð️ DACRI – Breathing New Life into a Heritage Structure
The Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute (DACRI) is a non-profit organisation registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, founded in 2009 in Hyderabad. It is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of India’s natural, cultural, tangible and intangible heritage.[reference:4] After its director, Kurra Jitendra Babu, requested Santosh Reddy (the grandson of Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao) to hand over the fort, it was transferred six months before the inauguration. DACRI then undertook a sensitive renovation, preserving the original character of the fort while creating modern research and archival facilities.
ð 200 Years of Reading: At the inauguration, DACRI’s director noted that the collection of 2.5 lakh rare books and 1 lakh palm-leaf manuscripts is so vast that it would take approximately 200 years to translate and print all the material. The centre hopes to digitise the manuscripts and open them to researchers worldwide.
ð A Scholar’s Paradise – 2.5 Lakh Rare Books & 1 Lakh Palm-Leaf Manuscripts
The research centre now houses one of the most impressive collections of a private samsthanam. The rare books span multiple languages – Telugu, Sanskrit, English, Persian, Urdu – and cover subjects such as history, philosophy, literature, medicine, astronomy, and colonial administration. The palm-leaf manuscripts are ancient texts written on dried palm leaves, preserving religious, literary, and scientific knowledge. These fragile artefacts require careful conservation, and DACRI has begun the process of cataloguing and digitising them.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Rare Books | Over 2.5 lakh (250,000) printed volumes, some dating to the 18th and 19th centuries |
| Palm-leaf Manuscripts | Over 1 lakh (100,000) manuscripts, written on dried palm leaves |
| Languages | Telugu, Sanskrit, English, Persian, Urdu, Tamil, Kannada |
| Subjects | History, philosophy, religion, literature, medicine, astronomy, poetics, law, colonial records |
| Digitisation Status | In progress; samples sent for analysis and cataloguing |
ð Hub of Historical Discourse – Telangana History Congress
The fort’s new role as a research centre was inaugurated with a two‑day meeting of the Telangana History Congress. The event saw the release of 10 new books and was attended by prominent historians, academicians, and public figures, including Hampi Sri Virupaksha Vidyaranya Mahasamsthanam pontiff Sri Vidyaranya Bharathi Swami, Santosh Reddy, Veamana Peetham president Ch Anjaneya Reddy, Telangana History Congress president Vaikuntham, and former MLC Mandali Buddha Prasad.[reference:5]
ð Nadigudi Fort Research Centre – Key Data
ð️ Historical Fort
- Built: 1870 CE
- Built by: Raja Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao’s family (Munagala Samsthanam)
- Original purpose: Zamindari fort / residential palace
- Architectural style: South Indian colonial with traditional elements
- Current condition: Renovated, fully functional research centre
ð Research Collections
- Rare books: Over 2.5 lakh (250,000) volumes
- Palm-leaf manuscripts: Over 1 lakh (100,000) leaves
- Digitisation: Underway, with translation estimated to take 200 years
- Special artefacts: Pingali Venkayya’s table, chair, and ink bottles
ðŽ DACRI
- Founded: 2009 (Hyderabad)
- Director: Kurra Jitendra Babu
- Focus: Conservation of tangible/intangible heritage; archaeological research; cultural promotion
- Headquarters: Shalivahana Nagar, Hyderabad-36
ð Chronology of Nadigudi Fort & Munagala Samsthanam
ð§ Visitor Information – How to Reach Nadigudi Fort Research Centre
ð By Road
From Suryapet town: Approximately 10 km. Local buses and autos are available.
From Hyderabad: Approximately 130 km via NH65 (Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway) to Suryapet, then local road to Nadigudi.
From Kodad: Approximately 30 km.
ð Rail
Nearest railway station: Suryapet Railway Station (10 km) – on the Secunderabad–Vijayawada line. From there, take a taxi or auto to Nadigudi.
✈️ Air
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad (approx. 140 km).
⏰ Best time to visit
October to March (cool and pleasant). The research centre is open to scholars and researchers by appointment. General visitors may be allowed in consultation with DACRI.
ð️ Nearby Attractions
- Suryapet town – temples, stepwells, and Pillalamarri tree.
- Kolanupaka Jain Temple – 2,000-year-old heritage site (approx. 45 km).
- Matta Raju Sangameswara Temple – historical Shiva temple.
- Nagarjuna Sagar Dam – scenic reservoir (approx. 70 km).
ð Research & Visit Tips
Scholars wishing to access the rare books or palm‑leaf manuscripts should write to DACRI well in advance. The reading room is modest, but the collection is priceless. Do not miss the room where Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour – it is now a museum of the freedom struggle.
ð Primary References
- The New Indian Express (19 Jan 2020). “150-year-old fort at Telangana's Nadigudi springs back to life as research centre”. Link
- Telangana360 – Nadigudi Fort profile. Link
- The Indian Biographical Dictionary (1915) – Munagala, Zemindar of; Sri Zubdatul Aqran Nayani Venkata Ranga Rao Garu. Link
- The Times of India (2023) – “Pingali’s museum of legacies inked in Munagala royal fort”. Link
- Wikipedia – Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute. Link
- Indian Culture Portal – Vijnana Chandrika Mandali. Link
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