This stunning and picturesque hill fort is situated in the district of Chitradurga around 200 km northwest of Bangalore on the Mumbai route. Home of the Nayakas of Chitradurga, the fort has a long history dating back to the Chalukyas and Hoysalas, with structures from the Vijaynagara down to the Tipu period. The surrounding area has structures dating back to the Satavahana period and beyond that into the neolithic age. The fort is the site of the famous Onake Obavva story that every schoolchild in Karnataka probably knows. It also has long intact inscriptions and unusual temples such as those dedicated to Hidimbeshwara.
The pictures below were taken in July 2021 on two cold and rainy days, and offer views of the intermingling of the rocky landscape with human-made structure.
Below are a few historical and archeological studies on Chitradurga.
