Category: Karnataka

Twenty Forts around Mysore

Another post thats been long in preparation stage. I must say it was a pain to get this out the door with the number of distractions in the last few years, especially the recent move to Mumbai. I am hoping to keep the updates flowing regularly.

Here are 20 forts around Mysore:

  1. Melukote – 12.6659759,76.650708
  2. Srirangapatna – 12.421363,76.688240
  3. Mysore fort wall – 12.323123,76.658384
  4. Narayanadurga – 12.712521,76.587903
  5. Possible Fort Ruins – 12.636088,76.410685
  6. Savanadurga – 12.922023,77.293646
  7. Huliyurdurga or Hulyurdurga – 12.820106,77.035988
  8. Periampatan or Periampatna or Piriyapatna – 12.339415,76.087511
  9. Possible fortification at Channapatna – 12.656261,77.200048
  10. Begur – 12.870867,77.622474
  11. Bandalli – 12.204595,77.333858
  12. Bangalore Fort – 12.962834,77.575863
  13. Hosur Fort – 12.731916,77.823954
  14. Kote Gutte – 12.922271,78.005043
  15. Chikkajala – 13.174183,77.634901
  16. Jalamangala – 12.826872,77.207113
  17. Huthridurga – 12.961621,77.123111
  18. Magadi – 12.953437,77.227589
  19. Kanakapura – 12.544185,77.425552
  20. Bairavadurga – 13.092661,77.173848
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Forts around Bellary

The Maps

Forts around Bellary
Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.

Link to original map

  1. Bellary – 15.1493518,76.910069
  2. Sandur – 15.0953385,76.5545154
  3. Gulyapalyam/Gulapalem – 15.0948309,77.3787904
  4. Gooty – 15.1130199,77.6513457
  5. Neruducherla/Neraduchelda – 15.2068819,77.9081941
  6. Adoni – 15.6469241,77.2765875
  7. Rajavolu/Rajoli – 15.8885833,77.8265154

Update: Two more forts found in this area.

  1. Tekkalakota – 15.5346159,76.8808115
  2. Racherla – 15.239585,77.9457343

Forts around Kolar

The Maps

Forts around Kolar
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge).

The Forts

  1. Makalidurga – 13.4326562,77.5014451
  2. Devanahalli – 13.2493028,77.7104509
  3. Nandidurga – 13.370764,77.6796913
  4. Unknown near Narasapura – 13.1181578,77.9662585
  5. Mulbagirlu – 13.1711225,78.3795118
  6. Guttahalli – 13.1434479,78.3669215
  7. First fort near Angondahalli – 13.0619417,78.3549348
  8. Mylapur,Mailapura – 13.1362415,78.501201
  9. Rahamandurga – 13.3550334,78.0074465
  10. Unknown near Ganjigunte – 13.4746364,78.0207852
  11. Unknown near Ramasamudram – 13.3516487,78.4289959
  12. Unknown near Madanapalle- 13.5782134,78.5317701
  13. Gurramkonda – 13.7772654,78.5853875

Forts around Anantapur and Chitradurga

The Maps

Forts around Anantapur
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge).

Click here for the original map

The Forts

  1. Unknown – 14.7652551,77.7951443
  2. Gangampalli – 14.0521009,77.8128308
  3. Penukonda – 14.0828434,77.5894403
  4. Pavagada – 14.1046229,77.2774029
  5. Nidugal – 14.1509534,77.0879638
  6. Unknown Near Ramagiri – 14.3078324,77.4672496
  7. Ramadurga – 14.406147,76.5428156
  8. Rayadurga – 14.7042261,76.8421715
  9. Kalyandurga/Kalyandurgam – 14.5445808,77.1062994
    Wikimapia image does not help locate the fort but the Wikipedia page on Kalyandurg confirms that there is a fort here.
  10. Aymangala/Aimangala – 14.0978698,76.5367055
  11. Nagalapur – 14.3187896,77.2712499
    I am not too sure if this is actually a fortification. Someone on wikimapia thinks it is.

Apart from these, an older post links to more forts around Chitradurga.

Forts around Tumkur

The Maps

Forts around Tumkur
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge).

For the original map, see link. As always, the ones I could locate on Google Maps from the map above are marked in blue, those that I found listed in the map but not through satellite are in red.

  1. Nijagal – 13.2474648,77.2174072 Also see the first post.
  2. Devaranyadurga – 13.3810609,77.2141993
  3. Unknown overlooking Tumkur – 13.3241381,77.1631193
  4. Channarayandurga – 13.5967189,77.2084272
  5. Maddagiri/Madhugiri – 13.65488,77.2061419
  6. Sira/Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka Fort – 13.7435851,76.9138563
  7. Basavangi betta/Bhasmangi – 13.7489209,77.035253
  8. Ratnagiri – 13.8165357,77.1289372
  9. Madakasira – 13.9444957,77.2689754
  10. Gudibanda – 13.9741724,77.1023512
  11. Lakki halli fort ruins – 13.9285273,76.4455748
    I am not quite certain about this one. There does seem to be some sort of wall surrounding the settlement.
  12. Hosadurga – 13.7873415,76.2821746
  13. Unknown – 13.6240704,76.3388658
  14. Bairavadurga – 13.0931942,77.1741888
  15. Midigeshi – 13.8319752,77.1935248

Forts around Dharwar-Hospet-Badami Triangle

The Maps

Forts around Dharwad-Hospet-Badami Triangle
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge)

The Forts

  1. Gajendragarh
  2. Shantagiri
  3. Belur
  4. Wankandrug or Vakkandurg
  5. Chikanal
  6. Gudur
  7. Kelur
  8. Mangalgud
  9. Badami –
    Southern part, Northern
  10. Mudkavi/Mudakavi
  11. Ramdurg
  12. Sirsangi, Govankop
  13. Hooli
  14. Parasgad
  15. Saundatti
  16. Nargund
  17. Anegundi
  18. Hampi
  19. Koppal
  20. Bahadur Banda
  21. Hamgi/Hammagi
  22. HoLalavvana Gudda,Srimantha Ghada Fort
  23. Mundargi
  24. Rangapur
  25. Torgal
  26. Munnavali

Clustering of Forts
There are clearly three different clusters of forts in this map. The top half of the map contains two clusters, one to the west of the hill range and the other to the east. A thin ridge connects the two clusters and a bulge of plains that also extends southwards with Gadag at the center of this plain region.

The third southern cluster is obviously meant to protect access to the Tungabhadra river south of the cluster.

Thanks to Siddeshwar for pointing out some of the forts listed in this post and for putting up pictures from his travels to those forts at his blog.

Forts around Davangere

Forts around Davangere and Chitradurga
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge)

The nine forts around Davangere and Chitradurga and as always the map on top marks the forts I could locate on Google Maps in blue and those I could not, in red.

  1. Chitradurga – 14.2097243, 76.394248
  2. Uchangidurga – 14.5608847,76.0482967
  3. Fortification adjacent to Uchangidurga – 14.5475198, 76.0389894
  4. Uchchangipura – 14.6020803,76.1523074
  5. Kanakuppa – 14.5528056,76.2886763
  6. Arani – 14.6045565,75.8034378
  7. Angargatti – 14.351689,75.5197218
  8. Shakara/Shyakar/Hanamanth Goudana Kote – 14.8662071,75.7054889
  9. Savanur – 14.9761499,75.335505

    There is a fort wall on the south of the town and and south east along the lake. Also refer to the book The Nawabs of Savanur By Krishnaji Nageshrao Chitnis.

  10. Bankapur – 14.9236995, 75.2527642
  11. Channagiri

For more info on some of these forts, see these two pages.

Update: Added Channagiri to the list and updated the map based on information from Siddeshwar

Udpate: Added more info about the fort at Shakara with the name of the fort, i.e. Hanamanth Goudana Kote. Thanks to Siddeshwar for pointing out.

Forts around Belgaum

Forts in Belgaum
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge)
  1. Belgaum – 15.8582227,74.5244586
  2. Rajhansgad also known as Yellurgarh – 15.7573404,74.5260626
  3. Kalanidhgarh – 15.860153,74.252086
  4. Mahipalgarh – 15.9020078,74.3833423
  5. Gandharvagarh – 15.9543662,74.2411745
  6. Unknown near Vannur – 15.9898203,74.8747846
  7. Subapur/Somapur – 15.902565,74.9809921
  8. Anandgarh – 15.5596271, 74.5268726
  9. Pargarh/Pargad – 15.8169261,74.0453196
  10. Hanumangarh – 15.8504048,73.9707595
  11. Bhimgad – 15.5971214, 74.2971468
  12. Haliyal – 15.3347149,74.7540879
  13. Kittur – 15.6006349,74.791671

Belgaum’s Natural Fortifications

The fortified defenses around Belgaum are helped by the natural fortification surrounding them. In all directions there is a range or a ridge that blocks direct access into the flat area in which Belgaum is situated.

Makali Durga: The Flying Fortress

Saw this fort during a Delhi-Bangalore flight while in a holding pattern around Bangalore’s Devanahalli Airport. Luckily, the plane did not take a circuitous route from this hillock to the runway so I was able to remember the directions to the fort.

Makalidurga

This also a good opportunity to point out two other forts in the area.

Makalidurga(Click to enlarge)
Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge)

Devanahalli

Nandidurga

Also check out a fascinating water colour of Nandidurg.