So you thought that Bangalore was all about sprawling shopping malls, pubs and technology parks? It so happens that there’s actually plenty of history hidden within this metropolitan city. And this is evident in all the forts that lie scattered in the city and around it, most of them forgotten and in ruins but all of them incredibly beautiful.
The forts in the city served as home to all the kings that ruled it whereas the ones on the hills around the city were like the watch towers for these kingdoms. Take a fort-tour of Bangalore’s 8 stunning forts within and in the outskirts of the city with us right here before you actually go exploring them.
The Bangalore fort lies in the heart of the city and is one of those major attractions of the city most tourists visit. The fort was built way back in the 1500’s and then again in the 1700’s by Tipu Sultan but most of that doesn’t actually remain today. There’s just a gate and a couple of bastions. A walk through the gardens that lie around the fort today reminds us of the city’s forgotten historical grandeur.
Timings : 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
The Devanahalli fort that lies a bit away from Bangalore – 40 kms north of Bangalore has been home to Tipu Sultan during his childhood and his growing up years. Now all you get to see here are some ruins of lengthy fort walls and rocks. Walking by these ruins of the fort is still a good experience as you get to taste a lot of history that dates back to the time of the Gowdas and then to the Tipu Sultan’s reign to British rule too. The birthplace of Tipu Sultan nearby and the Venugopala Swamy temple that lies within the fort are all usually visited by tourists who come here.
Timings : 24 hours
The Skandagiri fort is nothing but a few remains of this fort that is located on the top of a hill a few kilometers (70 to be precise) away from Bangalore. It makes for a great weekend outing and a trek up the hill is surely a good experience that draws in many people each year. The trek is actually quite long and can take upto 5 hours. A tiny stone temple (or remains of it) is something that people who come here usually visit.
Timings : The trek is open 24 hours but best finished before nightfall. Sunrises and sunsets make for beautiful visions from atop the hill.
Nandi durga/Nandi fort
The popular Nandi hills on the outskirts of Bangalore actually happen to be a hill fortress – the Nandi Durga. There was a fort built above these hills, the remains of which we can spot to this day. This fort was said to be used as a second home by Tipu Sultan. As of now, the fort is getting some renovation done so that it can soon be open to public under the name Tipu fort. Hopefully, that happens soon as we can then get to sample all the history this fort has to offer with all natural beauty of Nandi hills surrounding it.
Yet another fort that lies on the outskirts of Bangalore (about 60 kms) from the city is the Huliyur Durga which has now become a favourite trekking spot with the locals. The fortress (or the very few remnant ruins of the fortress) lies on the top of this hill along with a temple of the god ‘Varadaraja’ also known as Hemagiri Ayyappa and was said to have been built during the reign of the Gowdas. It sure makes for a great weekend getaway for those who like forts as well as those who like to go trekking now and then.
Timings : Since it lies on the outskirts, the fort is open all day but can be dangerous to trek after sunset.
The Channarayana Durga is yet another one of those hills that Bangaloreans love to go trek on during their weekends. This hill fort is actually quite big and is located at a distance of 100kms away from Bangalore. The fort was built during the rule of the Gowdas and later taken over by the Marathas and the British later on. The trek has lately been drawing in quite a lot of tourists but is best avoided during monsoons as the rocks tend to get slippery.
Timings : It is open through the day but best done early in the morning or in the evening when it gets colder as the stones get heated up during the day and nights make the place slightly unsafe to trek upon.
The Medigeshi fort which happens to be at around 120 kms from Bangalore on the Pavagada road is yet another one of the hill-top forts which has become a favourite treks off the the city with the locals. The fort’s strange name is after the wife of one of the local leaders. This fort is well intact despite all the many centuries that it has survived and we get to a lot of stone structures and walls up here within the fort. The two hour climb up onto the fort is also full of plenty of natural beauty filled with lots of flora and some beautiful birds and animals too.
Makali durga fort that takes a trek up the hill for you to reach is one beautiful fort with some picturesque views from the top of the hill. The railway track and the lake which lie along the way make the trek more beautiful along with the Shiva temple that is located atop the hill. This fort lies 60kms away from Bangalore and is yet another favourite with the locals for trekking and as a weekend getaway.
Have you been to any one of these forts? Would you like to share the experience? You can do that here.
Also, why should English readers have all the fun? Tripoto is now available in Hindi.