SwapnilJirageTravelPost: Team G Square Karnataka blog 7

Moonlit Sunrise Trek to Channagiri

RTC Bengaluru's plan for a drive-cum-trek to Skandagiri to witness the beautiful sunrise amidst the clouds was organized on the 20th of January this year. The event was led by us (teamgsquare), Prateek (Mystic Rider) and Shashank Gowda (localite). After many people showing their interest in joining the drive/trek, around 40 people were confirmed for the trek. While Trigo (Prashanth) along with his 4 friends were joining us from Hyderabad, the rest were from 'Namma Bengaluru'! After many discussions with the leads regarding the trek type and route, we finally zeroed in on the regular Sunrise trek to Skandagiri. The D-day arrived and bang on! All the participants had gathered in front of Esteem mall, Hebbala by 1.30 am as per the schedule. It was quite surprising and rare to see all the trek participants gather within the said time. From here began our much awaited journey to reach above the clouds! We numbered 37 in total, traveling in 6 cars and 4 bikes.

All Set to Vroom!!

By 2.45 am we reached the temple of Sri Bhoga Nandeeshwara at Nandi and were waiting for Shashank's arrival. After waiting for nearly 25 minutes with no fruitful result, we decided to head on towards Skandagiri to secure a place for parking our vehicles. By the time we reached here, we were shell-shocked to see an ocean of people thronging to get the permit to trek. A rough estimate of the number of people would be around 2k,with each one trying to squeeze in and fight in order to secure a place for the trek. Meanwhile, Shashank along with his two friends joined us at the Skandagiri parking lot. Seeing the huge crowd of people assembled and the number of incoming people, the trek leads, without a second thought decided to forgo the scheduled trek at Skandagiri and instead trek the neighboring hill of Channagiri. Although our idea was good, we were now stuck in the parking lot as the chaos at Skandagiri had only started to build up. With the forest guard's denial of permission to trek and the increasing number of people, the parking was jammed with no movement of vehicles on either of the directions. Besides, time was running out as we were bent upon doing a sunrise trek, somehow! Finally Shashank along with a few locals helped cleared the mess and without wasting any more time, we drove towards Channagiri, located about 14 km from here.

Moon and his Reflection on Water

After reaching the hill base of Channagiri, we realised that the members of a car and bike who were supposed to be following us had missed their route. All of us were waiting for them to join us to start the trek. Although the biker was able to locate us, the ones in the car had driven off to some other place. Prateek and Shashank tried their best to trace the car back until they gave up, after Arvind from that car informed them about being run out of fuel and also being quite far away from the destination. Unfortunately, the four from Arvind's vehicle couldn't join us. Once the rest of the team were back to the hill base of Channagiri, the trek began under the moonlight. We were down to 36 plus +3 infants and had to reach the peak of Channagiri before Sunrise. Thus began our conquest of Channagiri hill. Though at the outset it seemed like a small hill to trek, we realized after trekking a while that it was no joke to conquer this peak. Having read about this hill before, I was quite sure that this was going to be one heck of a trek.

Descent

'Channagiri' is one among the 5 main hill peaks of the Nandi hill-range, the others being Nandi, Bramhagiri, Skandagiri and Kaurava Kunda. Channagiri is the second tallest peak of this range, only after Nandi hills. There are basically two routes to this hill peak. The easier route starts from Sultanpet via well laid steps and is taken during early morning treks so as to catch the sunrise. The less easier route is through the forest via Channapura, which is a longer and steeper trail. Thanks to Shashank who lead us to the second route via Channapura forest. Everybody started the trek and the entire hill belonged to us at that moment! This route was surely a blessing in disguise for us when compared to trekking at Skandagiri. It would've been more like walking in a fair amongst thousands of people had we trekked Skandagiri. It was a decision well-made and in-time, most importantly with the consent of all the participants. Our only goal now was to make it to the peak top of Channagiri. We were now racing against time for the sunrise!

Good Morning

Kalyani

Armed with torches and accompanied by the lovely moon-light, our trek went on smoothly. The terrain was quite steep and rocky mostly, while at a few places we had to pass through thorny vegetation. The Trigo group were ahead of us while the rest of the team trekked together, until at a point where Ravi sir's wife started to feel a bit uneasy. As the terrain would only get more difficult to climb, sir made the right decision of halting their trek at this point and stayed by his partner. Kudos to you both sir for making it up till here! The rest of us continued our trek amidst laughter, fun, music and halts at regular intervals. We finally reached a point from where it seemed like the trek was complete. But it was a 'so close, yet so far' kind of a situation! We motivated ourselves to keep going and our final ascent to the peak top was quite steep. Slowly and steadily, one by one, all the participants reached the top and picked up their spots for photography. We were just in time to catch a glimpse of the Sunrise, although coming in a few minutes earlier would've surely helped! Unfortunately for us that day, the skies were clear with no signs of any clouds. A small bonfire was set up to make ourselves warm.

Beautiful Morning Sky

Skandagiri

There is a small beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Anjaneya/Hanuman at the top. After taking his blessings and spending some time enjoying the sunrise, chit-chatting and munching on snacks, we began our descent from behind the peak. However, a few of them decided to stay back for photo ops. Our descent was quite tiring and as we were all extremely hungry, we wanted to make it to the base as early as possible. We met Ravi sir's family along, who were eagerly waiting for us. We finally reached the place where we had parked our vehicles. A small lake besides our car park made the entire setup look more beautiful. We were now waiting for our breakfast to be served! While Shashank checked upon the breakfast arrangements, we all rested and waited for the others to join us. Though our initial plan was to have breakfast near the village of Nandi, we decided to serve the breakfast at the hill base only as a few of them were yet to complete the trek. While some team mates (Chaluve Gowda sir and family and Vishwa) decided to move on without having breakfast, the others spent time chatting and having fun. I and Shashank left to bring the breakfast. As we brought the breakfast, our last few team-mates had just made it to the parking and their timing was perfect! The breakfast comprised of Idli, Vada, Chitranna (lemon-rice), Chutney and the famous Mysore Pak. The food was very delicious, especially the combination of lemon-rice and the spicy chutney. We were happy people now and turned pretty lazy and reluctant to leave this wonderful place.

Second Serving (PC : Prateek)

Munch Time (PC: Prateek)

The sad truth was that we had to head back home. We planned to take a small break over tea/coffee in between along the highway. However, due to a small confusion caused by me, we ended up reaching Shashank's farm instead. Prateek and the biker gang decided to ride ahead, halt by a tea shop and wait for us to join. Meanwhile, we dropped the Trigo group at Shashank's place from where they were heading back to Hyderabad. But by the time Prateek shared their location of the tea shop, we were already on the Rajanakunte road towards Yelahanka, much ahead of them! We somehow couldn't make it to our tea/coffee break to bid our good-bye's to the team. All of us headed back to our homes after ending one of the most memorable treks! Kudos to the team for completing the trek!

Group Photo (Bigger the group, more difficult to organize for a group photo!; PC: Prateek)

The Trek Team

1. Teamgsquare (Me, Amrutha, Adhi and Diya) in our loyal Mahindra Xylo

2. Abhyuday, Tarun and Arjun in Toyota Etios

3. Chaluve Gowda and Family in Volkswagen Polo

4. Satishewara with 2 kids in Mahindra Bolero

5. Ravi Shankar and Family in Mahindra Scorpio

6. Arvind and his 3 friends in Maruti Alto

7. Shashank, Rocky and Abhi in Mahindra Thar

8. Prateek and Shikha in Yamaha R15

9. Gaurang, Maaz and Himanshu in their Bikes

10. Vishwas and Hiren in Pulsar 150 cc

11. Chaitra, Anuradha, Madhu, Rashmi and Akshata, car pooled with others

12. Trigo Prashanth, Naveen, Sadik, Niranjan and Sachin, car pooled with others

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Ratnagiri Fort - Hosur, Krishnagiri

Ratnagiri Hill Fort

The 12 forts built in and around Krishnagiri by the Vijayanagar Kings to protect their territory were collectively called as the 'Baramahal'. After successfully capturing the 'Navadurgas', we are now on a mission of capturing the Baramahal. The Baramahal comprises of the forts at Krishnagiri, Rayakottai, Balagondarayanadurga, Ratnagiri, Tattakaldurgam, Jagadevidurgam, Maharajakadaidurgam, Virabhadradurgam, Anchettydurgam, Gaganagiri (Periyamalai), Mallikarjunadurgam and Shoolagiri. On the 1st of January this year, we explored the fort at Ratnagiri which is the situated closest to Bangalore and is comparatively a smaller hill to climb.

'Ratnagiri' is one of the lesser known forts around Krishnagiri. There is hardly any information available related to this place apart from a few photographs courtesy of Google maps. We decided to explore this place on the New Year's day and make it more memorable. Reaching this place was quite easy, thanks to Google maps! Additionally, the locals were kind enough to direct us towards the fort. There is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Rama at the base of this hill, built during 15th century by the Vijayanagar kings. It was unusual to see the large number of people at the temple here. We offered prayers at the temple and went ahead to explore the fort.

Entering the Fort

Second Gateway

Pathway under the Rocks

We were pleased to see that much of the fortification remained intact and were excited to explore it further. We entered the first gateway and walked towards second one. This gateway exhibits Vijayanagara architecture with ruins of a few structures besides it. A little further, we came across another gateway and as we entered though it, we found a series of beautiful rock-cut steps leading us to the top. We were informed to climb bare-footed as the placed is considered sacred and we obliged by removing our foot-wear. We personally always feel it's also a lot easier to climb bare-footed! We reached the next gateway which is complete and the best among the surviving gateways. Close to this gateway is a huge water pond devoid of any water in it. At a short distance from here is a ruined temple probably dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Descending down hereon, we reach a beautiful place comprising of two rocks carrying carvings of Lord Anjaneya, Lord Perumal Swamy and Lord Krishna. This place is much revered by the locals who frequently visit them. Behind these rocks is yet another water pond.

Rock Cut Steps

Fourth Gateway

One of the many Water Tanks

Lord Anjaneya Swamy

Wild Flower

Grinding Stone and some Rock Etching

We reached the upper most tier and as soon as entering, we witnessed the ruins of buildings which probably could be that of a palace or a housing complex. We spent a good time exploring these structures. We also found a nice shaded area to sit and munch on the snacks we had carried, taking care not to litter anywhere. After some rest, we started our descent and reached our vehicle in a while. We were glad to have spent our first day of 2019 in a grand way, exploring one of the lesser known forts built by our great ancestors.

Top Most Gateway

Ruins of a Palace

Ruined Temple

Lord Anjaneya Swamy inside Lord Ramaswamy Temple, Ratnagiri

5 comments:

Aravind GJJanuary 19, 2019 at 10:35 AM
Nice find. Thanks for the info.
Reply
R Niranjan DasJanuary 19, 2019 at 12:57 PM
Barren but interesting. Thanks for sharing this.
Reply
rupam sarmaJanuary 19, 2019 at 3:48 PM
Amazing
Reply
Shrinidhi HandeJanuary 23, 2019 at 6:21 AM
thanks for bringing this to light
Reply
TobyAugust 24, 2021 at 11:22 PM
I liked your blog thanks for sharing this

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Huliyurdurga Fort - A Legacy of Sri Kempegowda

'Huliyurudurga/ Huliyurdurga', literally meaning 'the fortress of the tiger town' is located about 28 km from Magadi and 75 km from Bengaluru. Huliyurdurga is currently a hobli of Kunigal taluk in Tumkur district. A visit to this place was long time pending for us and after reading many articles about the failed attempts to reach the peak, we were a bit skeptical to step ahead. While our dear friend Prashant (popularly known as Payaniga) who has spent considerable time in this town confirmed that very few have made it to the top, we only imagined how challenging the trek would be!! Also, most of the locals acknowledge that it is quite difficult to reach the top. Last week, while doing a research on the same, I came across an article that gave details about the completion of Huliyurdurga trek in 20 minutes! Inspired by this, we were bent upon reaching the peak top of Huliyurdurga. There was no looking back this time around!!

Huliyurdurga Fort/ Kumbhi Betta

The Fort of Huliyurdurga is popularly known as 'Kumbhi Betta' and the hill fort here was built by Sri Kempegowda, who was the then chieftain of Magadi town. This hill though small in size, carries natural advantages of being incorporated as a hill fort. The fort later came under the rulers Chikka Devaraya Wodeyar, Hyder Ali, and Tippu Sultan in turns, after which finally in 1792 the Marathas and the British together laid siege to the fort. They eventually captured and destroyed the fort as they believed it was not worth saving it. Up to 1873, Huliyurdurga remained as the taluk headquarters after which it lost its prominence and currently serves as a hobli. This place was surrounded by thick forests and we still get the feel of the same while traveling along the Magadi - Huliyurdurga highway. The name Huliyurdurga is attributed to the tiger (huli in Kannada), which was a frequent visitor to this place. There are a few ancient temples at the base of the hill believed to have been built during the reign of the Wodeyar's.

Huliyurdurga Fort Entrance

Sri Kumbhi Ganapathi

Vertical Limit 1

The Climb

Reaching the hill base of Huliyurdurga was quite an easy task and the fort seemed inviting. We parked our vehicle at the entrance of the fort. Hereon, steps are laid up till the temple of Lord Sri Kumbhi Ganapathi. We had a casual conversation with a local who was involved in work in his cattle shed. He informed us that climbing up till the fort is not advisable with kids around. Hence we decided to climb as much as possible and then take a call. We reached the Sri Kumbhi Ganapathi temple in no time and investigated for the trek path here on. Finding two routes, we took the one of which had which had directions marked, while the other path went around the hill. We reached a point where there were multiple arrows pointing towards 3 directions! We took the route as per directions towards the left and reached a point from where the route seemed to disappear. The only way up was to climb the steep hill from here or return to explore the other two paths. We continued to hang on, take time to strategize and challenged ourselves to trek further. While our 3.5 year old team-mate Adhi climbed up quite easily on directing him for multiple stops and then proceeding, our 1 year old was very cooperative and we three joined our team-mate in some time. Though the ascent was somewhat possible, we knew that getting down would be definitely challenging!! Meanwhile, Adhi led us to a door way and we followed him to another hill with gradual slope.

Path of Ascent on the Steep Slope

The Fort Wall

Final Frontier

Ruins of Building atop Huliyurdurga Fort

Ragi Grinding Stone

The upper most tier of the fort had ruins of a few buildings, springs (water ponds), powder magazines, durbar hall, granaries, etc. We spent some time here exploring the ruins. In the meanwhile, my wife wished to climb the brick wall of a ruined structure and did so. On spotting a dead leaf mantis on the inner wall, she spent time capturing the mantis who seemed really dead (owing to its name) and happily posed for us. After some time, we decided to head back and reached the spot from where the descent was challenging. Fortunately, our team work was fruitful and we were able to reach the safe spot without any mishap. The rest of our descent was easy. After reaching down, we visited the Sri Gopalakrishna/Venugopala temple built at the base of the hill. The temple architecture resembled that of the Mysuru Wodeyar style and must have been built during the17th century. This temple is a Trikuta and houses murtis of Sri Guru Shankaracharya and Goddess Lakshmi in the two garbhagrihas. Besides this temple is the Sri Lakshmi temple built during the same period. Sadly a few years back, owing to the greed of the people, this temple has been damaged in order to find hidden treasure, if any. During this incident, the main murti of Goddess Lakshmi Devi was damaged and now the temple is not in use. From here on our way back towards the town, we sighted the Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple and a Nandi Mantapa, probably indicating the presence of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on the hill. Thus ending another successful quest, which coincidentally also was our last capture of all the Navadurgas, the nine forts built around Bengaluru by Sri Kempegowda.

Dead Leaf Mantis

Water Pond

Base of the Damaged Murti of Goddess Lakshmi Devi

Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple

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Sunrise Trek to Huthridurga - Uttari Betta, Treks Around Bengaluru

'Huthridurga/Hutridurga', also popularly called as 'Uttari Betta' among the trekking community is one among the popular trekking trails around Bengaluru. It is rated as one of the easiest treks around Bengaluru suitable for all age groups. It is a great place for beginners who desire to trek. A word of caution for first time trekkers is to better be accompanied by people who are familiar with this place. Huthridurga is about 55 km from Bengaluru and is one of the Navadurgas (nine forts) built by Sri Kempegowda. This fort was built in the 16th century CE and has later undergone a few modifications during the reign of Hyder/Tippu and the British rule.

We, from #RTCBengaluru had planned a drive cum trek to Huthridurga this Sunday. Though initially many were interested to join the trek, the number gradually decreased as the week progressed and after the last minute dropouts, our group comprised of 6 adults and 2 kids. We started our journey on time to Huthridurga and traveled in 2 vehicles. We started from home around 3:15am early morning although our scheduled time of departure was 3:00am. We were a few minutes late as we were waiting for one of our friends to join us. Unfortunately, he failed to pick our call and without wasting any more time we drove to our next assembly point which was Magadi Road. The rest of the group were already present there. We joined them around 3:45 am and began our drive to Huthridurga, via Magadi.
Since it was that hour of the day when traffic is the least, we were able to cross Magadi in time and reach Huthridurga crossing at 4:45 am as per our plan. Here on we had to drive on a small section of ghat road and as we drove ahead, we were informed that Ravi Sir's vehicle had a break down. An inspection of the vehicle revealed that the issue was with one of the tensioner pulleys that had given way. A wise decision of stopping the car was made to avoid any further problem. We were a little ahead of them and had to return to check on the situation. The vehicle was parked by the road side leaving enough space for the movement of other vehicles without any hindrance. All of us now drove ahead in one vehicle and reached Huthridurga which was about 1 km from here. We decided to complete our trek first and check on the availability of a mechanic after our descent.

Crescent Shaped Moon

We found a proper place for parking at the hill base and started our trek at 5:15 am. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the top of the hill including a 10 minute break, under the clear black sky dotted with millions of stars and the lone crescent shaped moon. At the break point, I tried my hand at photographing the stars though I couldn't manage capturing a decent picture of the star lit sky. I realized that I should spend some more quality time to learn photographing the skies! We were greeted by a carving of Lord Anjaneya housed in a shelter a little further from here. We trekked at a slow pace and reached the peak top comfortably. The weather was quite windy and chilly up there and amidst this, we patiently waited for the sun to rise. There is a temple atop the hill built by Sri Kempegowda dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is Sri Sankeshwara Temple which houses a shivalinga with an idol of Lord Nandi opposite to it. Attached on one side to the temple is a mantapa with pillars and roof covered with stone slabs. While my wife and kids took shelter inside the temple to keep themselves warm, the rest of us made ourselves comfortable and took respective positions so we could catch the first glimpse of sunrise.

Yes! He Finally Arrives!

Lord Surya above Savanadurga Hill

Top Place to Watch sunrise around Bengaluru

What a View!

It was cold and quite breezy, and finally at 6:50 am the Sun made his appearance just like the description of Lord Surya arriving on his seven horsed chariot! Every Sunrise is a unique experience. For the next 20 minutes we enjoyed the showdown utilizing every opportunity for photo ops. After the sun rose and the weather turned warmer, we decided to explore the other portions of the fort. We spent some time between the boulders that acted as wind breakers for having snacks and chatting. Finally we descended and reached the starting point where we again halted for a short break to bask under the sun. It was time for breakfast as we all were quite hungry and drove down towards the town of Magadi for some hot Thatte Idli's (Plate Idli's) and filter coffee. After satisfying our hungry stomachs, our next job was to find a mechanic to fix the car, but being a Sunday most of the shops around remained closed. A few who were open were quite reluctant and refused to come along as the destination was quite far. Meanwhile Ravi Sir contacted his regular mechanic who agreed to come by and fix the car. We dropped everyone at the required stops and reached home safely. The weather turned pretty hot along our return journey and we were only reminded of how pleasant it was atop the hill amidst nature! We were informed by evening that Ravi sir got his vehicle repaired and reached home safely. He is quite an inspiration for all of us and his stories kept us engaged all through our trek and drive. It was yet another great experience.

Kempasagar Lake

Team on the Top

Trek, Trail and Tales

The Trek Team
1. Teamgsquare (Me, Amrutha, Adhi and Diya) in our Loyal Xylo
2. Ravi Shankar in Mahindra Scorpio
3. Vishwas Gowda, Natesha and Shiva Prakash, car pooled

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Raichur Fort / ರಾಯಚೂರು ಕೋಟೆ

Raichur Fort / ರಾಯಚೂರು ಕೋಟೆ

A visit to Raichur was pending for a long time and had remained as one of the districts which was less explored by us in the state of Karnataka. Hence we decided to visit the magnificent fort of Raichur at the least. This time we chose to travel by train in order to reduce the driving load and more importantly, to test our ability of having to travel with our little partners!! Raichur is one of the blessed districts of Karnataka in terms of it geographical positioning owing to its location between the two mighty rivers of Krishna and Tungabhadra, making it one of the most fertile regions of Karnataka. Raichur today is most famous for its Thermal Power Station at Shakthinagar situated about 18 km from Raichur and is also known for trading of cotton. This place is of considerable antiquity, right from the prehistoric period to the period of struggle for Independence. The village of Maski is very well known for the Ashokan edicts found here which is believed to have been inscribed in the 3rd century BCE. This is one of the rare edicts where King Ashoka has been referred to as Devanamapriya and Priyadarshi. Also, the Hatti Gold Mines is the only operational goldmine in India and is located in Raichur.

Bala Hisar and Fortifications

Raichur Lake

While 'Raichur' was earlier known by the names of 'Rachavoor' or 'Rachanoor', it was later called as Rayachooru. The Fort of Raichur was in existence much before the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana captured this place in 1150 CE. The fort was built by the Kalyana Chalukyas and later expanded by Raja Vitthala under the able leadership of Kakatiya Queen Rudramma Devi in 1294. The same has been documented in the long inscription found near the second doorway of the fort, inside the Mecca darwaza.

Telugu Inscription Describing the Construction of this Fort

While most of the fortification was built by the Kakatiya and Vijayanagara Kings, a few later additions and repair works were undertaken by the Bahmanis and Adil Shahis. Though Malik Kafur captured this fort in 1312, it was subsequently captured and strengthened by the Vijayanagara Kings. Post the fall of Vijayanagara kingdom, the Bahmanis occupied this place and was later ruled by the Bijapur Sultans, Mughals and the Nizams.

Top Most Fortification

Fort Wall and Raichur Town

Exiting the Dragon

That Sunday morning after having a good breakfast at Hotel Udupi near the railway station, we took a rickshaw up to the base of the fort. The driver dropped us behind the fort which was a slum like colony that slowly crept into the fort area. The ascent from here was quite easy along the well laid steps built during the 15th century. Within no time we reached the first entrance of the fort and a short trek from hereon took us to the top most portion of the fort. The Bala Hisar (citadel) situated here, which is occupied by the durbar hall which is a double three arched and triple domed strucutre. There is a big damaged cannon in the premises. There is also a small mosque built in Bijapura style, with a single arch and two slim minarets. Besides this is a structure that seems like the remains of a small Mantapa associated with a temple, though no traces of any temple were found around. Behind the durbar hall and amidst the rocks is a beautiful carving of Lord Nandi in a seated position. It was very disheartening to see that only the lower portion of the Bull remained intact with no trace of it's head.

The Cannon

Bala Hisar

Small Mosque built in Bijapura Style

Broken Nandi Murti

We started our descent in the other direction, towards the Mecca Darwaza. On reaching the bus stand, we stopped by for a tea break. While we were walking towards the Mecca Darwaza, I spotted a few carvings on the walls inside the recently built Indira canteen campus. I decided to go ahead and check them out only to find inscriptions in Telugu which speaks about how the large boulders were hauled by buffaloes for building the fort walls. It then struck to me that the official website of Raichur district gave a description similar to what I had witnessed. It quotes, "A little distance to the right of the above epigraph, is depicted the process by which the large inscribed slab was brought from the quarry to the site, laden on a solid-wheeled cart drawn by a long team of buffaloes with men driving and cudgelling the animals and applying levers at the wheels to push the cart forward. The artistic treatment in delineating the line of buffaloes in perspective, and the lively and graphic expression of the strain on them as represented by means of depicting some with tongues lolling out of their mouths, some with bent waists, and others with tails curled and lifted up as is usually seen when these animals are put to extra strain, is indeed a marvel of the art of drawing, particularly when the age of the work is taken into consideration. Further to the right is carved a procession scene of six chariots, drawn by humped bulls with decorative collars round their necks, and a little distance to the south is carved a forest scene with palmyra trees. On various other slabs in the same wall are incised floral and foliage designs as well as numerous figures of men engaged in various activities, and also animals and birds, like bulls, elephants, boars, jackals, cocks, peacocks, geese, etc., all executed in the same delightful manner". Hurriedly and with excitement, I went back to bring my wife and two little partners to witness this marvel. My wife was stunned after looking at the carvings! It surely was an amazing experience for all of us to see these beautiful and unique carvings that gave us a clear picture of how the huge sized stone slabs were actually laid one above the other and how the fort wall was really built.

Long Team of Buffaloes Pulling the Rock Slab on a Solid Wheeled Cart

6 Chariots, drawn by Humped Bulls

Notice the Huge Size of the Rock Slabs used for Constructing the Fort Wall

Close up of the Solid Wheeled Cart

Hereon we reached the Mecca Darwaza which has been neatly restored by the ASI and has 2 two security personnel in charge of taking care and maintenance. After entering the necessary details in the visitor's book, we proceeded further. The entire gateway and the fort wall of Mecca Darwaza was built during the reign of the Vijayanagara kings, which is quite evident by the presence of carvings such as elephants, peacocks, Lord Anjaneya and other gods/goddesses on its walls. There are a few cannons belonging to the later period kept for display. We explored further on the other side of the fort wall along the moat and found more Hindu carvings. Owing to the persian inscription found atop the fort entrance, some historians claim that the fort walls were built by the Bahmanis, although it is much clear that it belongs to a much earlier period than the Bahmani rule.

Cannon placed at Mecca Darwaza

Mecca Darwaza and the Moat around it

Elephant Carvings on the Wall of Mecca Darwaza

Lord Garuda

Lord Bhikshatana Murti with various Mystical Animals

Our next destination was the most beautiful fort entrance named 'Navarang Dwara' or 'Navarang Darwaza'. This is probably one of the most beautiful fort entrances we have seen till date. It is a classical representation of Vijayanagara Art and Architecture. However, this place now has been converted into a museum and photography has been prohibited.

Navaranga Dwara

Interiors of Navaranga Dwara


Intricate Carvings

After spending some time here, we inquired about Gowdra Mane (the royal house) which supposedly houses many beautiful murals belonging to the 19th century. The ASI staff at the museum were kind enough to give us directions to this place. We managed to find an auto rickshaw with great difficulty and the driver agreed to drop us at the old house. Surprisingly not many were aware of such a place around. After many inquiries with the locals, we landed right in front of this beautiful royal house. The exteriors of the house seemed very grand and we were much excited to have a look at what was in store for us. However, the house was locked for interior repairs and we were informed that the family had shifted only recently to another house in the town. We met the neighbors and exchanged our phone numbers so we could try and visit the house the next time. After watching our curiosity to enter the royal house, the auto driver too turned equally curious about the entire situation! Unfortunately, we couldn't make it into the royal house that day. We had to catch our train and hence requested our auto driver to drop us back at our hotel.

Koti Darwaza

The Royal House - Gowdra Mane

Projected Balcony of the Royal House

References:
1. Karnataka Tourism Gazetteer - Gulbarga
2. Raichur Official Website
3. Journeys across Karnataka

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In Search of Adichunchungiri Peacock Sanctuary

05 July 2009

As every Sunday gets more excited for us, this Sunday too, ended up being very special. Our pick for this weekend adventure was a Peacock Sanctuary very close to Bangalore. Though not much information was available either from the websites or blogs about the sanctuary itself, we went. ahead to explore this place. Both, I and my husband being nature lovers, were equally excited about sighting a beautiful peacock amidst lush green landscape during our visit. We decided to leave as early as possible since we knew early mornings and late evenings were the best times to sight the pride of India! We packed our stuff and left around 6:30 am. We drove non-stop taking the NH48 and took a right towards the Adichunchungiri mutt arched entrance. Since we failed to get any kind of information from the web, we totally banked upon the locals for the route to the sanctuary. To our dismay, many of them, on inquiry replied to us in kannada, 'Navila' (a peacock?) 'Illi modhlu ithhu saar, ivaga enu illa, dhaama noo illa, naviloo illa'! (peacocks were seen here long time ago.Now there is nothing here, neither the sanctuary nor the peacocks). Another old man, who heard less, filled us with hope for a moment by saying 'idhe' (meaning it is there), until we realized he had actually misheard the ‘Navilu Dhaama’(peacock sanctuary) as ‘Ravi Dhaba ’!!!! It was kind of funny but it filled us with furt at that moment. A couple of auto drivers too replied negatively.

Both of us felt disappointed and consoled each other saying it was okay. We still took chances and drove around in search oft it, inquiring people. One man pointed us towards a place that turned out to be a ‘Sasya Kashi’. The guard there made it clear to us about the non existence of any peacock sanctuary around. More disappointment encroached on us. And to be frank, I was really down on hearing such a thing. We went back to the Mutt, drove all around a few kms just to check if there were any sign boards leading to the sanctuary. But no luck. My husband suggested that since we’ve come this far, we should go visit the hill at least. With a heavy heart, I went along. The pain of not sighting a peacock still lingered. To our surprise, the mutt offered us more than we expected! After the dharshana of Lord Bhairaveswara, we followed the track to Gavi Siddeswara and Kathle Someshwara atop the hill. Since it was a religious place, we had to trek the hill bare foot. Initially there were huge granite steps to walk up the hill and then later on, it kind of got slippery as he steps were carved out of karikallu (black stone). We spotted a beautiful yellow crested Bulbul and three different lizards at the hill top. The only thing we were missing was our camera! Anyway, we decided to trek further towards ‘Kathle Someshwara’, supposedly a cave temple where Nandi god is worshipped. The little priest pointed us towards an exit which led to the 'sthamba' (pillar), our second destination. This was the most exciting of all. We experienced a bit of rock climbing and some hard trekking.

On viewing the ground from hilltop, my husband spotted a route, that we thought could’ve been the one taken by jeeps for rounds in the sanctuary. We decided we would walk around that place and explore. Also, on asking the little boy (who guided us), if he had spotted any peacocks around recently, he replied to us…‘irithve, bandegal kelagade malgirthave’(peacocks will be there, resting under rocks!). And he vaguely pointed out to the place from top. Our hopes became strong as this was the first positive response we heard. During our climb, we had asked another boy priest about he same and he answered, ‘now there are very few or no peacocks as there is quarrying work going around and the sound of the blasts keep the peacocks away from this place’. It was justified. But we kept our hopes alive. After we finished our trek, we drove towards the Kalyani and a pond filled with lotuses.

Water Tank

Pink Lotuses

Now, we were hungry to death .We found a place just in front of the mutt and had Thatte Idli, some amazing Saagu (which my husband thought was not tasty!), chutney and bondas for lunch. A cup of hot coffee was perfect to end our afternoon meal.

With hope filled in us, we started the walk into a place just behind the mutt, which we thought could’ve been the non existent sanctuary! It was lush green everywhere, a perfect place for butterflies and birds! As soon as we started to walk, we met an old shepherd who told ‘navilgalu mosthaagive’(there are many peacocks here). We were happy now, since it filled in a lot of confidence of finding one! We explored the place, found lizards, insects and some colorful butterflies.

Lemon Pansy

Spiny Lizard

Crimson Rose

We kept walking, until we heard the sound of an amazingly beautiful bird, the Peacock! Now, it was a sure thing that there was at least one peacock around! And all our efforts were put in, to sight one. We kept praying secretly that we get a glimpse of the peacock. We walked continuously until we were stopped by a granite slabbed compound, and thought it was best not to walk any further since it looked like the boundary wall of that place. We had read that the peacock sanctuary was less then 1 sq.km. of area. We rested for some time to look for any peacocks around, but in vain. Some people were shouting from the hill top which probably was a disturbance that kept the bird from coming out. We spotted more lizards and some beautiful green bee-eaters.

We walked a little further along the boundary, to a place full of rocks. A group of four birds of unknown identity just fluttered past my husband. For a moment, we thought it was a peacock but no! Keeping our hopes alive and telling each other we needed the luck factor too to sight a peacock, we started walking back towards the car. We heard the cries of a peacock, loud and clear, and tried tracing the peacock. Every now and then, we rested and kept silent. My husband walked keeping the handy cam on, while I spotted an amazing swallow tailed butterfly that was waiting to be photographed! I was pretty happy to have photographed a butterfly so closely.

Peacock on Rock

It started to drizzle and looked like it would get heavier. My husband advised we reach back to the car as quickly as possible. We walked together talking about the peacock and gosh! What an amazing moment it was, for the both of us….we witnessed the presence of the most beautiful bird in the world, the Peacock! It was a mighty one. At that moment, we couldn’t believe what we’d seen. It looked like as if the peacock came out and showed off just for our sake!!! It was so colorful that one can hardly miss it amidst the background of rocks. We actually got to see a peacock. And a mere glimpse of it had filled our hearts with joy. It made our day and we secretly felt we were lucky. At least lucky enough! I would’ve waited there all evening to watch that beautiful bird. Since we had little time left, we had to hurry back. We climbed up to the place where we had sighted the bird, but found nothing, since the bird had escaped to another place. I could see something big fly away from us. We at least had the mercy of god and the peacock, that we could sight one. It was enough for the day. Just while we were getting down a small hill, we saw a peahen fly over us. We had almost reached the end of where we had started the walk and looking back, we witnessed another amazing moment.

Yes, it was another beautiful peacock. This time, far away and high above, it stood atop the hill as if to say good-bye to us and, revealed its beautiful feathers, showing off its colors and left a message of being happy to have seen us around and to come back again!!! We waited for sometime appreciating its beauty, while it flew to a tree close by. My husband could spot the peacock very distinctly though its bluish green color made it difficult for me to spot it amidst the greenery of the tree. It sat there waiting for us to leave.

This is our first travel story written long before the inception of this blog . Entire credit of this post goes to my wife.

16 comments:

SrikFebruary 19, 2013 at 3:22 PM
very cool post :) happy you both had good sightings!

Keep it going! Keep writing!

Srik
Reply
magiceyeFebruary 19, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Wow! What an adventure! Beautifully presented! Your wife should write more!!
Reply

DeguideFebruary 19, 2013 at 5:28 PM
Nice adventure, and good trekking.
Reply
R Niranjan DasFebruary 19, 2013 at 6:15 PM
Lovely post. Such small sanctuaries are never taken care by the authorities.

www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in
Reply
CarverFebruary 19, 2013 at 9:20 PM
Beautiful shots and sounds like a fun adventure.
Reply
Sylvia KFebruary 19, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Such a great post and beautiful captures!! Thanks for sharing! It does indeed sound like a fun time!!
Reply
AgnessFebruary 20, 2013 at 10:30 AM
You are so lucky to find the Spiny Lizard. I've heard it's difficult in this area. Beautiful photos of nature.
Reply

Anuradha ShankarFebruary 20, 2013 at 3:49 PM
wonderful!!! loved reading it.. your wife shd certainly write more often... and what an experience that must have been!
Reply
AnonymousFebruary 20, 2013 at 7:59 PM
beautiful place...

and nice write up

thanks
Reply
Sudhir RFebruary 22, 2013 at 11:40 AM
What an adventure! I enjoyed reading
Reply
ArtiFebruary 22, 2013 at 3:31 PM
This has to go down as one of my favorites, it was a thrilling read and I myself felt the rush of having seen a peacock while reading! Really beautiful write-up and lovely pictures.... do convey my 'Please write more often' to Amrutha! :)
Reply

RajeshMarch 6, 2013 at 10:05 PM
Wonderfully adventurous trip.
Reply
travel ufoMarch 7, 2013 at 4:47 PM
wow
Reply
MeowwMarch 8, 2013 at 10:13 AM
Nice account of your trip. Love your shots but loved the sounds of thatta idli and saagu and bonda soup... oh man! Wish i had left my tummy in Bangalore!

BuyMaps

MeowwMarch 8, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Love your blog about Bangalore! Please accept your Liebster Award here: http://meowwsmusings.blogspot.kr/2013/03/liebster-award.html

GeorgeMarch 29, 2019 at 7:53 PM

I'm glad your persistence paid off and you were able to spot a couple of peacocks. They are so beautiful!

Forts of Karnataka - ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕೋಟೆಗಳು

"Forts are the Chief Protection of a Kingdom"

- Ramachandra Amatya (18th Century)

Forts are similar to our gated community and are built for to protect of the kingdom. The word 'Durga' (Fort in Kannada) originates from the Sanskrit word 'Durgam' meaning 'difficult to trespass', signifying the importance of a strategic site, a strong wall and a moat to make it an impregnable stronghold. The earliest reference to the fort can be found in Rigveda wherein a fortified city was referred to as a 'Pura'. According to Kautilya's Arthasthra, 'Fort' is the most significant aspect of any kingdom, the others being it's King, Capital, Allies, Army, Ministry and the Treasury. Forts have always played a significant role in shaping the history of the world. The history of fort itself dates back to the 6th century BCE with the earliest references of fortified cities being Nineveh and Babylonia. Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Sisupalgarh, Hastinapur, Indraprastha, Dwaraka, Kishkinda, Malhar and Rajim are some of the earliest forts built in India, some of whose links can be traced to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Sisupalgarh is the oldest standing/surviving fort in India which is situated close to the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa.

Satavahanas built the earliest of forts in Karnataka between the period of 1st century BCE and 2nd century CE and their remnants have been found at Sannati, Aihole, Banavasi, Sagar (Gulbarga), Chandravalli (Chitradurga), etc. However, the first confirmed record of fort as per inscriptions is the fort at Badami built around 543 AD by Pulakeshi I. In India, the Deccan (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and United Andhra Pradesh) undoubtedly dominates the other regions over the number of forts built. About 3000 forts were built in this region of which majority of them still survive to narrate their story. At present, about 700 forts survive in Karnataka. This post includes the list of forts we have visited till today, some of which have already been described by us in our previous posts (to which link has been given). Information with regards to the remaining forts will follow shortly in our subsequent posts.

Forts of Karnataka - ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕೋಟೆಗಳು

There are many classifications of forts one of the most important Based on the type and area where the fort is built. Forts can be classified into 6 groups which are as follows:

1. Bhudurga or Nagardurga - City Fort or Land Fort - Bengaluru, Srirangapatnam

2. Giridurga or Parvatadurga - Hill Fort - Madhugiri, Chitradurga

3. Jaladurga - Fort surrounded by a Natural Water Body - Jaladurga, Malkhed

4. Dhanavandurga - Desert Fort - None in Karnataka

5. Mahidurga - Mud Fort - Gottam Gutta, Hangal

6. Vanadurga - Forest Fort - Ballalarayanadurga, Kanoor Kote

There are many great Kannada literary works which speak volumes about the construction of forts.
A few to name are as follows:-

1. 'Sivatatva Ratnakara' by Sri Basava Bhupala

2. 'Ananthnath Puran' by Sri Jana

3. 'Kumararamacharite' by Sri Nanjunda

4. 'Mohan Tarangini' by Sri Kanakadasaru

5. 'Pampaskhetra Vaaranam' by Sri Chandrakavi

6. 'Amulabasava Charite' by Sri Singi Rajan

7. 'Manasollasa' by Sri Someshwara III

8.' Dhadmanatha Purana' by Sri Bahubali Panditha

9. 'Vijayambudi Charite' by Sri Shrutikreethi

10. 'Chennabasava Purana' by Sri Virupaksha Panditha

11. 'Prabhulingaleele' by Sri Chamarasa and many more.

Forts of Karnataka:

1. Badami Fort - ಬಾದಾಮಿ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bagalkot

Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers: 2

Dynasty ruled: Badami Chalukyas, Pallavas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar, Tippu Sultan

Badami Fort

2. Aihole Fort- ಐಹೊಳೆ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bagalkot

Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas

Aihole Fort

3. Nandidurga Fort- ನಂದಿದುರ್ಗ

District: Chikkaballapura

Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar, Kempegowda, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Marathas, British

Nandidurga Fort

4. Shivagange Fort - ಶಿವಗಂಗೆ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore rural

Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Nadaprabhus, Marathas, British

Shivagange Fort

5. Chikkajala Fort - ಚಿಕ್ಕಜಾಲ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore rural

Type: Bhudurga

No of tier: 1

Dynasty ruled: Vijayanagar, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Nadaprabhus

Chikkajala Fort

6. Devanahalli Fort - ದೇವನನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore rural

Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Nadaprabhus

Devanahalli Fort

7. Bhairavadurga Fort - ಭೈರವದುರ್ಗ

District: Bangalore rural

Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:5

Dynasty ruled: Vijayanagar, Kempegowda, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Marathas

Bhairavadurga Fort

8. Kundana Fort - ಕುಂದನ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore rural

Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:4

Dynasty ruled: Vijayanagar, Kempegowda, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars

Kundana Fort

9. Bengaluru Fort - ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore Urban
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Kempegowda, Hyder Ali, Wodeyars, Marathas, British

Gajalakshmi, Bengaluru Fort

10. Begur Fort - ಬೇಗೂರು ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore Urban
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers: 2

Dynasty ruled: Ganga, Nolambas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Wodeyars, Marathas

Shree Panchalingeshwara Temple, Begur Fort

11. Bettadasanapura Fort-ಬೆಟ್ಟದಾಸನಪುರ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bangalore Urban
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Ganga, Nolambas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Wodeyars

Bettadasanapura Fort

12. Champakadhama Fort - ಚಂಪಕಧಾಮ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bangalore Rural
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Ganga, Nolambas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Wodeyars

Champakadhama Fort

13. Belagavi Fort - ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Belagavi
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Belagavi Fort

14. Torgal Fort - ಟೋರ್ಗಲ್ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Belagavi
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:4

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Torgal Fort

15. Hooli Fort - ಹೂಲಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Belagavi
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:4

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Shree Panchalingeshwara Temple, Hooli Fort

16. Ramdurga Fort - ರಾಮದುರ್ಗ
District: Belagavi
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Ramdurga Fort

17. Sankeshwara Fort - ಸಂಕೇಶ್ವರ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Belagavi
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled:Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Sankeshwara Fort

18. Mudkavi Fort - ಮುದ್ಕವಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Belagavi
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Mudkavi Fort

19. Halasi Fort- ಹಲಸಿ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Belagavi
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Kadambas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Hoysalas

Shree Bhuvaraha Swamy Temple, Halasi Fort

20. Gokak Fort- ಗೋಕಾಕ್ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Belagavi
Type:Bhudurga

No. of tiers: 1

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kadambas, Marathas, British

Shree Mahalingeshwara Temple, Gokak Fort

21. Halakundhi Fort - ಹಲಕುಂಧಿ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Palegars

Halakundhi Fort

22. Kenchanagudda Fort- ಕೆಂಚನಗುಡ್ಡ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, British

Kenchanagudda Fort

23. Kurugod Fort - ಕುರುಗೋಡು ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:5

Dynasty ruled: Satavahanas, Badami Chalukyas, Sindhs of Kurugodu, Vijayanagar, Hyder Ali

Kurugodu Fort

24. Nadivi Fort - ನಾಡಿವಿ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bellary
Type: Jaladurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Palegars

Nadivi Fort

25. Gudekote Fort - ಗುಡೇಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:5

Dynasty ruled: Satavahanas, Kadambas, Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Palegars of Hosamaledurga, Vijayanagar, Bahamani, Palegars, Hyder Ali, British

Gudekote Fort

26. Ujjini Fort - ಉಜ್ಜಿನಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, British

Ujjini Fort

27. Bellary Fort - ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Maurya, Satavahanas, Badami Chalukyas, Sindhs of Kurugodu, Hoysalas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, Marathas, British

Bellary Fort

28. Hampi Fort - ಹಂಪಿ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Maurya, Satavahanas, Badami Chalukyas, Sindhs of Kurugodu, Hoysalas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, British

Hampi Fort

29. Tekkalakote Fort - ಟೆಕ್ಕಲ್ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Sindhs of Kurugodu, Hoysalas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, British

Tekalkotte Fort Entrance

30. Sandur Fort - ಸಂಡೂರ್ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, Marathas, British, Gorpade

Sandur Gorge

31. Hulikunte Fort - ಹುಲಿಕುಂಟೆ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bellary
Type: Giridurga + Vanadurga

No. of tiers:5

Dynasty ruled: Palegars

Hulikunte Fort

32. Hallikhed Fort - ಹಳ್ಳಿಖೇಡ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bidar
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, British

Hallikhed Fort

33. Rameshwara Fort-ರಾಮೇಶ್ವರ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bidar
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:1

Dynasty ruled: Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, British

Rameshwara Fort

34. Bidar Fort - ಬೀದರ್ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bidar
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:3

Dynasty ruled: Maurya, Satavahanas, Badami Chalukyas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagar, Bahamanis, Bijapur Sultanate,Nizams, British

Bidar Fort

35. Basavakalyan Fort - ಬಸವಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bidar
Type: Giridurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, Kakatiyas, Bijapura Sultanate, Vijayanagar, Marathas, Nizams, British

Basavakalyan Fort

36. Bhatambra Fort - ಭಾತಂಬ್ರ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Bidar
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, Kakatiyas, Bijapura Sultanate, Vijayanagar, Marathas, Nizams, British

Bhatambra Fort

37. Bhalki Fort - ಭಳ್ಕಿ ಕೋಟೆ
District: Bidar
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:2

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, Kakatiyas, Bijapura Sultanate, Vijayanagar, Marathas, Nizams, British

Bhalki Fort

38. Bijapura Fort - ವಿಜಯಪುರ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Vijayapura
Type: Bhudurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Bahamanis, Kakatiyas, Bijapura Sultanate, Vijayanagar, Marathas, Nizams, British

Malik-I-Maidan, Bijapura Fort

39. Bandallidurga Fort- ಬಂಡಳ್ಳಿದುರ್ಗ

District: Chamrajanagar
Type: Giridurga +Vanadurga

No. of tiers: 3

Dynasty ruled: Vijayanagar, Palegars, Tippu Sultan, Wodeyars, British

Bandallidurga Fort

40. Gopalaswamy Betta Fort - ಗೋಪಾಲಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟ ಕೋಟೆ

District: Chamrajanagar
Type: Giridurga +Vanadurga

No. of tiers:7

Dynasty ruled: Hoysalas, Vijayanagar