Chitiradurga Travel Guide

This famous hill-fort town of Chitiradurga is the headquarters of the Chitiradurga district of Karnataka. Also known as the Place of Stones- Kallina Kote, Chitiradurga is strategically placed from the military point of view, as it came under the rule of the Vijayanagar rulers called the Nayak Paleyagars. Tour to Chitiradurga offers a peek into the history of the region.

The town is situated 200 km from Bangalore and 60 km from Davangere, and lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, with the Tungabhadra flowing in the northwest.

Chitiradurga got its name from the umbrella-shaped lofty hill called Chitrakaldurga, present here. Historically, Chitiradurga dates back to the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

It is here where the local heroine Onake Obavva fought against King Hyder Ali. It was ruled by a local chieftain Madhakari Nayaka. Tourist attractions in Chitiradurga comprise the fort and few other historical monuments. The best time to visit Chitiradurga is between the months of October and February.

Chitiradurga Fort- The historic fort of Chitiradurga has seven circumambulations and encompasses the seven hills of Chinmuladri range. This massive fort has 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, a palace, a mosque, granaries, oil pits, 4 secret entrances and water tanks. Inside the hill fort there are temples of the Sampige Siddeshwara, Hidimbeshwara, Ekanathamma, Phalguneshwara, Gopalakrishan, etc, all set amidst this rocky surroundings. This fort is a must see on Chitiradurga tours.

This invincible fort is an epitome of warfare architecture. The approach to each gate is uphill and through passages that twists and turns, thus making it not viable to use elephants or battering rams to break down the gates. Additionally every wall has pigeonholes from where soldiers could rain down arrows on invaders.

Davangere– This is an industrial town renowned for its cloth mills and granary.

Harihar- Situated on the bank of Tungabhadra River, this ancient town is famous for the Hariheshwar temple built in Hoysala style in 1223 AD.

Chandravalli- Situated on the Northwest foot of the Chitiradurga hill, you can witness sites of archaeological excavation at Chandravalli such as the Tiger boulder, Siddeshwara temple, Ankli Mutha, Anchalingeswara Cave Temple, Dhavalappanagudda and the Chandravalli Lake here.