Buried Beneath the Ruins is Kavaledurga

In Karnataka, close to Thirthahalli, Shimoga is the historic hill fort of Kavaledurga, which is perched at a height of 1541 metres. Even though it is currently in ruins, the hill fort is nevertheless considered as one of the state's most picturesque and fascinating locations. The majestic Western Ghats encircle the fort, which is surrounded by lush greenery. The heritage site is a well-kept secret in the area, so there aren't any normal tourist crowds there. The climb uphill to the fort may be a little exhausting, but the view from the top will makes it all memorable.

Distance:

• Manipal- 83Kms

• Bangalore- 366kms

Timings: 8:00am-5:00pm

Best Time to Visit: August-March

Crowd:

(As per the local guide)

Weekends: 100-250 people per day

Weekdays: 50-100 people per day

Summer: 20-50 people per day

Trek to the Fort:

Distance: 5km Up and Down

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Time: 2hr -2hr 30 mins Up and Down

You will have to park the car in the end of the Tar Road and bike can go 100m ahead where you will see a pond and you can park the bike there and start walking. Once you start walking you pass through a narrow walking way towards a wooden gate which acts as the trek's base or beginning point. the trek is not extremely tricky nor easy you will have mixture of stairs and plain rock way; the rock ways are slippery and turns out tough to climb when it rains. In addition, the spectacular topography along the route is always changing from enthralling views of the jungle to the mountain ranges. The journey up takes about 3 hours in total. Ruins of a gate can be found near the fort's entrance. Additionally, there are carvings, ancient temple ruins, decaying bastions, and empty gun slits to be seen. After passing through the second, third, and fourth gates, you can climb to the summit of the fort.

The fort has 3 parts the entrance gate, temples and palace. Once you reach the Shikareshwara Temple you will have have 2 ways of 500m, one leading to The Lakshmi Narayan Temple and the other toward the ruined Durbar Hall. The way to the palace is closed now (16th June, 2022) as there has been a land slide on the way.

How to Reach:

From Bangalore:

If you are going with your own vehicle or cab the shortest and good road route is through Hiriyur-Hosadurga-Shivamoga-Thirthahalli-Kavaledurga. If you want a road with scenery then you can take the Hassan-Belur-Sringeri-Kavaledurga route.

If you are coming in public transportation the you will have to take a bus directly to Thirthahalli and hire an autorickshaw. If you are looking take a train the nearest train station is in Shivamogga, from there you will have to take a bus to Thirthahalli.

From Manipal:

If you are going with your own vehicle or cab the shortest and good road route is through Manipal-Hebri-Agumbe-Kavaledurga which will be 83 Kms, in this route you will be able to see the beautiful view from the agumbe view point but in monsoon the best route will be through Manipal-Brahmavara-Nandagoli-Siddapura-Hulikal Ghat-Kavaledurga which will be 98km, in this route you will through Hulikal Ghat you will be able see Hulikal Falls, view point and Talasi Abbe Falls along the way.

If you are looking out for public transportation then you will have to take a bus to Thirthahalli and hire an autorickshaw from there.

History of Kavaledurga Fort:

Kavaledurga was constructed in the 9th century, and Cheluvarangappa renovated it once again in the fourteenth. The fort had witnessed a number of powerful and honourable Keladi rulers who were well-known figures throughout the Vijayanagara Kingdom's feudal era. Venkatappa Nayaka (A.D. 1582–1629) fortified the area here after the Vijayanagara Kingdom collapsed, built a palace, and turned it into an agrahara with a Mahattina Matha, a Sringeri Matha, a treasury, a granary, stables for elephants and horses, and ponds. The Kavaledurga location has a strong connection to Hindu mythology, which describes it as Parashuram Kshetra. Additionally, it is thought that Agastya and the well-known Hindu sage Maharshi Valmiki spent a substantial period of time here.

This fort had previously gone by the names "Kaurava Durga," but Dodda Sankanna Nayaka of the Keladi dynasty changed its name to "Bhuvanagiri." He strengthened and refurbished the walls. In this fort, Keladi Rani Chennamma was crowned. From this fort, Keladi rulers ruled their empire for 60 years. Additionally, it is stated that Rani Chennamma defended Shivaji's son Rajaram from this fort and defeated the powerful Mughal army.

Architecture of Kavaledurga Fort:

The Kavaledurga fort is surrounded by three lines of wall constructed of massive granite blocks that mimic the hillock's natural contour. Each fortification has an entrance that is flanked by guard rooms on either side. Between the gates are temples, a palace site, and a basement of structures. Nearly at the middle of the Hills' peak, Shikhareshvara or Srikanthn eshwara Temple is a small temple with views of the Western Sea. A grand terraced edifice with an elaborate basement makes up the palace site within the fort. Recent clearance in the region as revealed bare sequence of interconnected chambers within a large inner quadrangle all of that is provided with A spacious enclosed verandah leading to a tiered tank and a kitchen with a five-burner stone oven, as well as the platform in the bathroom with a unique water supply system, give an understanding of the architecture style of the place.

Temples at Kavaledurga Fort

There were originally 15 temples in the fort, but only three remain: Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Kashi Vishwanatha Temple, and Shikareshwara Temple.

• The Lakshmi Narayan Temple is located at the top of the hill. It is accessible via a flight of stairs and a tricky trek over a short distance that leads to the most stunning view of the western ranges.

• Shikareshwara Temple is located in the heart of the fort and provides a panoramic view of both the fort and the valley. Temple includes the Garbhagriha, a Nandimandapa, and an entryway leading to a porch with a beautiful view of the sun setting beyond the western horizon.

• Kashi Vishwanatha Temple is located slightly lower down and is notable for its Islamic-style doorway and two pillars flanking the entrance.

Things to Look Out For:

Most of the year, this area is covered in lush greenery, and it is also home to snakes, spiders, and many other insects. We didn't see any snakes, but we did spot two snake-shade skins. What's intriguing is that we spotted one on a wall surrounded by rocks and the other on the top of a hill, above the Lakshmi Narayan swamy statue. Built in the ninth century, this location's design is incredibly captivating. It has chambers for lamps and grinding stones, and since it frequently receives rain, it has a water channels that runs down a hill to form a small pond on the top of the fort. you can also witness the old drainage system along the trek path. The fort is now only ruins, but all throughout it you can see several solitary idols and pillers. One such idol was an isolated Nandi facing nothing, which is quite uncommon in Hinduism.

I would recommend you to take your own food and water as there are no hotels or restaurants available near the fort. There are 2 shops near the parking area but they only have local company juices and snacks. The nearest town is Thirthahalli where u will find hotels to stay and you can find plenty of restaurants there.

Kavaledurga is a magical fort that has everything a traveller could ask for in a visit. History that captivates you with some breath-taking tales. Architecture can enthral you with incredible architectural styles, temples, old utensils and stunning sculptures. You may enjoy amazing views of the Sahyadri Mountains throughout the trek. And to top it all off, the region is surrounded by an unparalleled, incredible amount of calmness. The magnificent heritage of this country and the tremendous spiritual peace meet together. with all this Kavaledurga is the perfect getaway and a stress reliefer from the busy life in the urban world.

Kavaledurga Fort Location:

Top 5 Attractions Near by:

Agumbe/ Kudlutheertha falls- 36kms

Kundadri- 31kms

Jogigundi- 38kms

Onakeabbe falls- 34kms

Talasi Abbi falls- 13kms