Gandikota

The battle

"Jai Virupaksha, Jai Narasimha, Jai Shri Krishna Deva Raya" shouted Ramalinga, "Charge".

"Allah Hu Akbar, we fight for victory or Jannat" shouted Salabat Khan, "Attack".

The sun burnt with all fury over the rocky, parched landscape, as the armies moved at each other. The hooves of the horses thundered over the plain, the elephants roared deafeningly as the armies approached each other closer. The war cries of "Jai Virupaksha", "Allah Hu Akbar" rent the air, as the horses thundered across the plains, and the infantry, rushed with blood curdling war cries.

Just about 500 meters away, Ramalinga broke away from the approaching cordon, along with two divisions led by Timappa and Verappa of four hundred each. Shaped like an arrow, releasing from its bow, the formation broke away from the rest of the Vijayanagara Army, and was heading towards the Bijapur army.

"Is he mad, what exactly is Ramalinga doing breaking away from the rest of his army, and attacking from the front" wondered Ismail Adil Shah.

And then he realized, where he was heading, "The center, they are attacking the center". In his attempt to spread out the forces, Adil Shah, had thinned down the center, where only he, Salabat Khan and around 600 soldiers were there. Ramalinga was heading straight to the center. He had not outflanked the Adil Shah as the latter was expecting. The Sultan cursed he had been outwitted by the Raya, he should have known better.

One signal by Ramalinga, and the Vijayanagara archers, released the arrows. Falling like a shower of locusts, the arrows struck the Bijapur forces in the front, as they fell like flies on the field. Like a lion, pouncing on a herd of elephants, Ramalinga attacked the front line. The hapless Bijapur soldiers had no chance, as Ramalinga scythed through them, like a knife cutting through the butter. Heads flew in the air, limbs were chopped off, as the Bijapur soldiers were cut down mercilessly by Ramalinga. As Ramalinga cut his way through, the infantry of Vijayanagara rushed in with war cries of "Jai Virupaksha", as they hurled their spears with unerring accuracy. The long spears, pierced through the bodies of the Bijapur soldiers, impaling them.

The sound of steel meeting steel, horses neighing, elephants trumpeting was deafening. The summer heat added to the chaos, as the injured lay crying loudly for help and water. Some had lost their legs, and were crying out, in the hot sun, wishing for a merciful death. Others lay injured, with their guts spilled out, as their plaintive cries for help, went unheeded in the noise and chaos. The terrified Bijapur soldiers began to flee, in the face of the furious assault by the Ramalinga. "Ya Allah, run, to the trenches, back to the trenches". Timappa and Verappa, pursued the fleeing soldiers, and began to massacre every one of them, not sparing even one. It was a total rout, as the Bijapur soldiers began to retreat back.

Ismail Adil Shah, looked back with dismay at his forces scattered and running away. There was only one way, to save the situation. "Artillery, bring forth the artillery" he shouted to Asada Khan. The cannons were bought out from the rear, and the gunners were in position, aiming at the advancing Vijayanagara forces. "The Kafirs can never have our Raichur, fire away my men, fire" he shouted. "Fire".

And the guns began to boom, in unison, first the cannons, and then the gunners firing away their muskets in perfect synchronization. The advancing Vijayanagara forces, were hit by a shower of cannon balls, that fell and exploded with fury over them. The bodies of the Vijayanagara soldiers, were tossed into the air like rag dolls, as the cannon bills struck. And falling back on the ground in a heap of broken limbs, severed heads, torsos with no head and arms, littering the field. The hot sun shone down mercilessly on those who had their limbs and legs torn off, by the cannon balls, as they screamed for water. For those injured it was a fate worse than death, as they lay bleeding, the heat making their gaping wounds even worse. To those who managed to escape the cannon balls, the gunners awaited them.