Makalidurga Hill

Makalidurga is a hill fort located near the village of the same name Makali village, Doddaballapura Taluk, Bengaluru rural district. The Hill at the summit has an old temple of Shiva with Nandi and in legend Markandeya Rishi performed penance here. Hill has a fort on top, at a height of 1,117 m. It has become one of the trekking destinations for adventurers. Makalidurga hill is situated at an altitude of 1350 m above the sea level. It used to be granary storage of the late 1800’s palegar ‘Makaliraya’. Hence it is known as Makalidurga. At the foothill there is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. This hill is filled with date plants, lemon grass and small boulders. From the hill top it is very beautiful to see the lakes on either side, curvy roads and the railway track below this hill. The glimpse of the train from here is very exciting. Makalidurga Trek is a moderately difficult trek. There are some directions written on the rock which provide directions for climbing.

The path leading to the fort comprises of rocky and uneven trails which are often traversed by trekkers from various regions. According to the history of Makalidurga, Vijayanagara Empire where they used to conduct army exercises in this place. The place was later captured by Shahaji (father of Shivaji) after Vijayanagara Empire and then was ruled by Kempe Gowda after he captured that from Shahaji. The months of September to February are the best time to trek in Makalidurga hill.