A popular weekend get away from Bangalore is Skandagiri, also known as Kalavara Durga or Kallavarahalli Betta. It is an ancient mountain fortress located approximately 60km from Bangalore city, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The peak is at an altitude of about 1350 meters and is known as the “adventurer’s paradise” and features a beautiful night trek, altitude camping, stunning sunrise, and serene and wave like clouds.

Skandagiri is one of the hill forts in the Nandi Hill ranges. The dilapidated walls of this sturdy, self sufficient fortress was built by Tipu Sultan and was used as a military base in his fierce fight against the British. It surrendered to British troops on 19 October 1791 and was later dismantled. It remained in British hands until the peace treaty of 1792, which concluded the third Anglo-Mysore war. There are 2 unexplored caves on the mountain. Supposedly, there are 6 Samadhis in that cave and thus the area is considered holy.

Trekking is a popular activity in Skandagiri. One must carry water, first aid box, snacks or light foods. Local villagers camp on the peak and sell tasty omelettes, cool drinks, tea, and other refreshments. You can also ask them to provide wood in case you want a campfire and to serve as guides over the terrain. It is common to trek in the dark, and it’s a lot fun on a beautiful full moon night. Trekkers start climbing at around 2:00 am and aim to reach the top by around 5:00 AM to catch the sunrise. You must carry one torch each person if planning a night trek. Sometimes the night trek is banned because of security reasons.

Another route for trekking starts from the Papagni Temple at the foot of the hill. The fortress is in full sight throughout the trek uphill. Just as you reach the fort wall content that you have topped the hill, you see another ring of fort. No sooner do you reach there, than you find another majestic fort wall waiting to be conquered. There are six such series of stonewalls protecting an abandoned ancient temple on the hilltop.

Recently the Karnataka Forest Department has established a parking place for all the vehicles visiting there. An Entry Fee of Rs 15 is charged for each person visiting the hill. Safety signs have been added by the government to prevent injury and further development in the hills is expected. Don’t forget to carry your camera to take breathtaking pictures of 360 degree view of surroundings.

Best time to Visit: November to January

How to Reach: Skandagiri is 60 km from Bangalore which is well connected to all other parts of the country by Air, Rail and Road.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 22nd, 2010 at 8:53 am and is filed under Trekking & Hiking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.