Forts always have a mysterious aura surrounding them. Most of them are reminiscences of a rich bygone era. Every fort has a history associated with it. Now if a fort exists in the midst of dense forest and atop a hill in the beautiful Western Ghats, it is bound to be a place full of history and mystery. Ballalarayana Durga fort in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka is one such amazing fort.This isolated fort can only be reached by trekking through the hilly forest region. It is one of the few forts that can be found in the Western Ghats.

The fort has lost its glory and stands as a distant reminder of its beautiful past. Visitors can find just a few shattered walls of the fort that still exists there as a proof of the grand structure that had once stood there with pride. In its completely ruined and dilapidated condition the fort remains as an example of an ancient structure that has been destroyed due to the lack of proper preservation. However, the beauty of the surrounding green luxurious forests with steep slopes has not dimmed over time. The ruined fort presents a breath-taking view of the surroundings. The engulfing greenery charms visitors at all times of the year. Apart from its historical significance the Ballalarayana Durga fort is also famous as a trekking destination. The trek to the fort is a difficult one and presents quite a few challenges to the trekker. It is easier for an experienced trekker to cover this route than for someone who is a novice in trekking.

Sunset View Point

Isolated, calm and serene if such is your search criteria then sunset points of Ballalarayana Durga is just the place to be at. Rejuvenate yourself with the mesmerizing panoramic view of the western ghats with serene sunsets away from the maddening noise and crowd of the cities. A photographers delight these points offer you ample opportunities to capture and savour mother nature at its very raw form. These points are apt for camping and spent the night gazing at the stars under clear wide open sky.

Ballalarayana Durga can be easily reached from Bangalore with well connected roads by cars or 4X4 drive , but staying true to our mode of commute we decided to explore it on bikes. The roads are good for most part of the journey except for the last few kms which gives you a chance to test your riding skills on the rugged terrain but is extreme fun nevertheless. There are couple of homestays within close vicinity of the sunset point offering breathtaking view of Ballalarayana Durga.

This place is beautiful for photography. Blazing sunrise and sunset gives a marvelous amount of happiness. Its a photographers paradise since we can valley of hills next to one another. The giant Jenukal Gudda is next to this Pandavar Gudda. Air distance to Jenukal is very near and want to reach there a full fledged planning is required for one whole day. Pandavar Gudda” as the name suggest it is mythology. It’s said that the pandavas had stayed during their vanavas and we can see the stone grinding. The place is true naturalistic as it is located inside the Western Ghats. The rainy season here is unbelievable and one must experience it. This place is not much discovered and we wish it remains the same.