Off the tourist trail, Gingee is a spectacular, almost-abandoned site: four old forts perched on hills, in an extraordinary granite landscape of rice paddies and wild, monkey-filled vegetation. A Kipling or Indiana Jones feel — and good for your fitness!
The main fort and its ruins
The 500-year-old Venkataramana temple stands in a green park, with its thousand columns. In the Inner Fort, at the foot of the citadel, scattered remains include the six-storey wedding palace, the huge elephant tank and centuries-old trees of monumental girth.
Krishnagiri, the climb
The other hill bears the fort of Krishnagiri: the climb is exhausting (high steps, slabs to clamber over, blazing sun, no facilities), but the 360° view is incredible. At the top, more colonnades, a kind of mini-acropolis, a temple… and lots of monkeys!
Practical information
Bring water (it’s hot, and steep) and allow two to three days to see it all. 70 km west of Pondicherry (1 h 20) and 123 km south-west of Mahābalipuram (2 h).
