Medigeshi Fort - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 23 km from Madhugiri, 68 km from Tumkur, and 125 km from Bangalore, Medigeshi Fort is an ancient hill fort situated at Madigeshi village in the Tumkur district of Karnataka. It is one of the famous places of heritage in Karnataka, and among the top places for trekking near Bangalore.

Located at an altitude of 2581 feet, Madigeshi Fort was built by Nagi Reddy, a chieftain, during the Vijayanagar era. The fort got its name after Nagi Reddy's wife who is nicknamed as 'Midigeshi' as her hair touched her ankles (in Kannada, Medi is ankle and Kesha means hair). After Nagi Reddy, Chikkappa Gowda conquered the fort after losing possession of Madhugiri and Channarayana Durga in battles. In 1761, Haider Ali won the fort and ruled it for a few years before it was annexed by the Marathas in 1767. Tipu Sultan took over the fort in 1774. Finally, it was conquered by the British forces under Lord Cornwallis but was later abandoned.

The massive fort of Midigeshi had the usual seven gates and several mandapas in the field around it, but only a ruined mosque with three arches, two minarets with a fine latticed design, and some granaries are intact now. In the vicinity, a temple of Hanuman can also be found. There are two temples Venkatramana Temple and Lakshmi temple at the base of the hill. A couple of dhones, named Musure dhone and Kannerammana dhone, with ample water are also seen. Two large circular structures for storing oil and ghee are still in good shape.

Madigeshi Fort is a great spot for a day trip from Bangalore. The approach to the hill fort is from the eastern side beside the temple of Venkataramana. The trail going up the hill passes through a couple of doorways and ends abruptly at the base of a daunting rock face. The climb is tricky. After this midsection is an even more steep rocky patch but a flight of steps, nearly 150 of them, carved into the rock makes it somewhat easier. It took 60 minutes to reach the top. The view from the top is spectacular.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free