Makalidurga

Is a hill fort situated near the village of the same name. It is 60 km north of Bangalore and 10 km after Doddaballapura on the way to Gauribidanur. The fort at the summit has an old temple of Shiva with Nandi and in legend Markandeya Rishi performed penance here.Makalidurga Fort stands at the top of a huge granite hillock, huddled up amidst the chains of hills, formed like a valley close to Ghati Subramanya, a well-known pilgrimage center. It has a fort on top, at a height of 1,117 m. It has become one of the trekking destination for adventurers. Many people go for night trek to this place. At a distance of 61 km from Bangalore City Junction, 18 km from Doddaballapura and 6.4 km from Ghati Subramanya Temple, Makalidurga is a hill fort situated near the village of Makali in Karnataka. This is one of the top things to do in Bangalore.

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 trekking trail here is not as popular as Savandurga but the experience is still wonderful. The Fort situated atop the massive granite hill is the main attraction in Makalidurga. The fort at the summit has an old temple of Shiva with Nandi and in legend Markandeya Rishi performed penance here. 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 night trekking in Makalidurga is an excellent experience. The trek to the top of the hill takes about 2 hours, which means trekkers could easily start at 10 at night, camp for a while at the top of the hill and then make the way down by 5 in the morning. Professional guide is required for night trek at Makalidurga and also carry a torch, mosquito repellent, sufficient food and water with trekkers.Visitors are best advised to carry their own food and water while coming for a day outing in Makalidurga. The months of September to February are the best time to trek in Makalidurga.