Ballalarayana Durga Fort Chikmagalur – Chikmagalurholidays.com

Ballalarayana Durga Fort

Ballalaraya Durga Fort
Sunkasale | Kottigehara | Mudigere | Chikmagalur

With a mysterious aura of their own, forts are always fascinating and give the vibes of a glorious bygone era. Perched on top a remote, picturesque mountain, surrounded by dense green forests, Ballalarayana Durga fort is the embodiment of amazement, enthrallment, mystery,history etc. This isolated and fascinating fort is one among the very few forts that can be found in the western ghats. The fort is accessed by an exciting and delightful trek through thick verdant forests , rolling green meadows and lovely shola groves . Astounding Rani Jhari Edge Point is next to the fort and the splendid Bandaje Falls is up-close(3.5km). All the three locales can be visited in one go.

Ballalarayana Durga Fort-Location

Ballalarayana durga fort is located at Madhugundi village of Mudigere taluk of Chikmagalur . The nearest small town(6km) is Sunkasale,which is located on the Mudigere kottigehara-Kalasa Horanadu road. Sunkasale is about 15 km of scenic drive from Kottigehara and is well conneted by public/private transport. Ballalarayana durga is about 28km from Mudigere and 60km from Chikmagalur city.

Ballalarayana Durga Fort History

Ballalarayanaryana durga fort was built by the king Veeraballala 1 of the famed Hoysala dynasty(Hence the name Ballalarayana Durga, durga meaning fort). Hoysalas were great patrons of art and Architecture and have built several outstanding temples and forts. Veeraballala 1 also established a facility nearby to collect taxes, which became known as Sunkasale (Sunka=tax, Sale=premises, in the Kannada language). Sunkasale is the closest small town to Ballalarayana Durga and is well connected by public/private transport to Bangalore/Mysore/Mangalore/Hubli-Dharwad. After the Hoysalas, Ballalarayanadurga fort came under the control of the Nayakas(chieftains) of the Ikkeri(Shivamogga) dynasty, followed by the Mysore Kingdom. At this stage, the fort seems to have been left to disuse and slowly the fort became dilapidated due to lack of patronage and maintenance. The fort is in ruins now, though the breathtaking scenery around the durga and the joy and thrill of trekking through lush green forest to visit the fort, more than makes up for it.

Ballalarayana Durga Trek

Besides being historically significant, Ballalarayana Durga is also a popular trekking/getaway destination. Since the blissful Bandaje falls is just 3.5km nearby, the trek is popularly known as Ballalarayanadurga-Bandaje falls trek. What is marvelous about Ballalarayana Durga trek is that a mere 4km trek encompasses hiking through varied terrains. The trek begins with walking through lush green forests with little bit of rock climbing. The thick forests opens to rolling grass lands. As you stride across the meadows, pure, cool breeze engulfs you. Beautiful shola groves present themselves along the way. The final push to reach the fort involves a bit of hill climbing though not hard one.The difficulty level of the trek is moderate.

Bdurga shola forest — Bdurga Trek Shola Forest

Ballalarayana Durga Fort-Weather

Ballalarayana durga is located in the western ghat ranges and is at a height of of 1500m above sea level. As such, generally the weather is pleasant throughout the year. Annual temperature varies from 12 to 28 degree celsius. During rainy season,it pours heavily. If someone is visiting the durga in the rainy season, it is advisable to check the weather forcasts before proceeding.

Ballalarayanadurga Fort-Travel Tips

Ballalarayanadurga is an isolated and ruined fort standing on top of a hill. It is surrounded by other hills and forests. As such there are no shops/hotels close-by. Hence food and water must be carried. Though numerous streams sprout up during monsoon, they quickly dry up post monsoon. All items , which are generally carried in any trekking expedition need to be taken. Tents are to carried if planning to camp there. Ballalarayanadurga is not suitable for camping. . Bandaje arbi falls is a popular locale for camping.

Best Time to Visit Ballalarayana Durga

The best time to visit Ballalarayana Durga is from September to May. It better to avoid visiting the in the months of June,July and August as ti is the rainy season. In the rainy season, there will be leech menace, rocks are slippery and most the time the place is covered in mist and fog.

How to reach reach Ballalarayana Durga.

The Ballalarayana Durga is well connected by road network from major centers such as Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore etc. The trek to Ballalarayana Durga starts from Durgadahalli, Sunkasale ( for the visitors coming from Bangalore, Mysore etc) or from Mundaje( for the visitors coming from Mangalore region). There are frequent public/private buses plying to Sunkasale and Mundaje.

By Train: Daily train plies between Bangalore and Chikmagalur. From Chikmagalur there are frequent bus services to Sunkasale.

By Air: Mangalore airport is the nearest airport to Ballalarayana Durga.