Chitradurga is a hill fortress located 202 km from Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. It gets its name from “Chitrakaladurga” meaning scenic castle. It is a massive fortress sitting on the top of granite hills and is also known as Kallina Kote or the ‘Place of Stones’ .Its history can be traced back to the 3rd millennium BC. It was a part of the Mauryan Empire. Chiradurga was ruled by Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas and received importance as a feudal state of the Vijaynagar Empire. It was built by the Nayaks during the Vijaynagar era.
Chitradurga has a pleasant climate all around the year. The average summer temperature is 32oC. The summer spans from March to May. The winters are from October to February. The minimum winter temperature is 12oC. The best time to visit this place is from October to February as the climate is cool in these months.
Few good hotels in Chitradurga accept international credit cards. There are few ATMs in the city. It is best to carry cash to this place. There may not be any moneychangers here so carry Indian currency only.
No permits are required to travel to Chitradurga. Just a visa to India is all what is needed.
The nearest airport is Bangalore which is 202 km away from Chitradurga. You can take a private taxi or a bus to reach Chitradurga from Bangalore. Buses ply from Bangalore, Hubli, Devanagere and Hospet to Chitradurga. Chitradurga lies on the BangalorePune Highway and Mangalore Solapur highway. Chitradurga has a railway station. There are daily trains from Bangalore and weekly trains from Mumbai.
Chitradurga Kote or the fort of Chitradurga is one of its kind as it is on top of a hill of stones. It is a picturesque fort.
Archaeological Museum in Chitradurga has a good collection of ancient relics and coins.
Ashoka Siddapura is an archaeological site where edits of emperor Ashoka were found. Nearby is a hillock named Ramgiri which is associated with the epic Ramayan.
Brahmagiri village was one of Ashoka’s provincial capitals.
Where To Eat:
In Chitradurga you can relish special dosas from the neighboring district of Devanagere. Devanagere benne dosa is a delicacy. Roopavani restaurant serves good food. Small roadside stalls serve decent food here.
Where To Stay:
There are many hotels and lodges in Chitradurga. Aishwarya hotel on the Turuvanur Road and Maurya Deluxe on Santhe Bagilu are good places to stay. Maruthi Inn Deluxe lodge, Brundhavana Lodge, Pravasi Nilaya Tourist Lodge, Sri Krishna Vilas Hotel and Sri Gayathri Bhavan are other hotels in Chitradurga.
Jogimatti is a small hill station near Chitradurga. On the way to this place is Himavat Kedaya waterfall which is beautiful.
Harihar town which is now in the Devanagere district is on the bank of Tungabhadra River. It has a statue of Harhar and is built in Hoysala style.
Nayakana Hatti is 35 km from Chitradurga. It has the tomb and temple of Tippe Rudraswamy.
