The historic old jail atop the hill on Nizamabad fort will soon turn into a tourist spot. MLC K Kavitha has come forward for the restoration of the fort area and the modernization of the old jail is happening at a brisk pace Kavitha is spending Rs. 40 lakhs from her MLC funds for the restoration project which is aimed at showcasing the life stories of revolutionaries like Dasharadhi Krishnamacharyulu and Vattikota Alwar Swamy who were jailed in this fort.
Majority of the works by Dasharadhi Krishnamacharyulu and Vattikota Alwar Swamy were produced from this prison. Some parts of the noted work of Dasharadhi such as ‘Agni Dhaara’ and ‘Prajala Manishi’ of Vattikota were written inside the jail premises. As part of the renovation, the statues of both legendary figures will be installed here, and the room in which Dasharadhi has written the popular slogan ‘Na Telangana Koti Rathanala Veena’ will be beautified.
The fort, towards the south-west of Nizamabad, was built in the 10th century by the Rashtrakuta kings. This fort also houses Raghunatha Temple which is believed to be built by Chhatrapati Shivaji on the orders of his guru Samartha Ramdas. During the reign of Asaf Jahis, the fort was transformed into a jail which was used to lodge prisoners until recently. Around 10 years back, the jail was shifted to Sarangapur.
Many popular figures like Dasharadi, Vattikota, and Jamalapuram Keshava Rao were jailed in this fort-jail. The prison was also used by various rulers to lodge activists who fought against the Nizam and those who took part in the Telangana Armed Struggle. The restored jail is gearing up for inauguration on July 22 on the occasion of Dasharadhi’s birth anniversary.