Ballalarayana Durga
A Hoysala hill fort on the Charmadi ridge, reached on foot through shola grassland.
Ballalarayana Durga is a ruined fort on a grass ridge above Sunkasale, roughly 15–20 km from Mudigere town. The walls, gateway and cisterns are still legible on the summit, and the position explains itself the moment you arrive: the ridge commands the whole approach from the coast up through Charmadi. From the fort the trail continues along the ridge towards Bandaje falls, which is the classic two-day walk of this range.
What to do here
- Walk up from Sunkasale to the fort gateway and cisterns
- Follow the grass ridge for the views back over Charmadi
- Continue to Bandaje falls as a longer trek with a guide
- Look for the Malabar giant squirrel in the shola patches on the climb
The best-preserved hill fort in the district, and the trailhead for the Ballalarayana Durga – Bandaje ridge walk that most trekkers rank as the finest in this part of the Ghats.
History
The fort is attributed to the Hoysalas and is traditionally connected with Veera Ballala — the dynasty that ruled this country from Belur and Halebidu, on the plateau immediately east. It guarded the pass traffic between the Malnad and the coast.
Travel tips
Base village is Sunkasale, about 85 km from Chikmagalur town via Mudigere. A jeep can take you partway up in dry weather; in the monsoon it is a walk. Leeches are certain from June to September — carry salt or Dettol and wear full socks.
Please note
Do: hire a local guide for anything beyond the fort itself; the ridge trail is unmarked and cloud comes down fast. Do: start early and be off the ridge before dusk. Don't: camp at the fort — it is not permitted. Don't: light fires on the grassland; it burns readily in February and March. Don't: carry plastic beyond the last village.
Combine your trip
Places near Ballalarayana Durga
Bandaje Arbi Traverse
Two days from Sunkasale over Ballalarayana Durga and down past the falls to Ujire — the finest walk in these hills.
ViewpointCharmadi Ghat
Twenty-five kilometres of hairpins off the plateau to the coast, through the wettest forest in the district.
HeritageKottigehara
The junction town where the plateau ends and Charmadi begins — coffee, cardamom and the last fuel pump.
Chandranatha Basadi, Kalasa
A Jain basadi in a Shaiva temple town — the other half of Kalasa's history.