FORTS · CHITRADURGA DISTRICT · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
Chitradurga Fort Guide: Tickets, Timings, Route Inside the Walls and a Day Plan
Chitradurga’s Kallina Kote, the stone fort, climbs across a ridge of bare granite behind seven rings of wall. It is about three hours from Bengaluru, costs Rs 25 to enter, and fills a full morning once you start walking. This guide gives the ticket and timings, a route through the main sights in a sensible order, the story of Onake Obavva, and how to build a day around it.
The short answer
Chitradurga Fort is open daily, with the ticket at Rs 25 for Indians, Rs 300 for foreign visitors and free for children under 15. Most listings give 6 am to 6 pm; allow three to four hours, start by 9 am, and carry water. It is about 200 km from Bengaluru on NH48, roughly three hours by road, and a good stop on the way to Hampi.
The fort stands on the edge of Chitradurga town, on a chain of granite hills. Local people call it Kallina Kote, the stone fort, or Yelusuttina Kote, the fort of seven circles. It is protected and run by the Archaeological Survey of India, which is why the ticket and the basic facilities follow ASI norms; the official site is asi.nic.in.
It rewards a long visit more than most Karnataka monuments. You walk up through gateway after gateway, past temples cut under boulders, tanks that still hold water, granaries and a ruined palace, with a view across a flat dry plain from the top. If you like forts, set it beside Bidar and the other places in our Karnataka forts guide; if you are planning the district, the wider list is on the Chitradurga district page.
Tickets, timings and facilities
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Entry, Indian adult | Rs 25 |
| Entry, foreign visitor | Rs 300 |
| Children | Free under 15 |
| Hours | Daily, 6 am to 6 pm on most listings; ticket counters at the gates are commonly staffed from about 10 am to 5:30 pm |
| Counters | One at each of the three main gates |
| Parking | Free beside the gates; basic ASI facilities include toilets and drinking water |
| Local guide | About Rs 500 for a group of one and a half to two hours; longer tours cost more |
| Time needed | 1 to 1.5 hours for the highlights, 3 to 4 hours for a proper visit, up to 6 hours if you photograph |
| Closed days | None |
The Rs 25 and Rs 300 pair is the standard ASI rate and is what most visitors report paying. Keep small change handy. Still photography is free and video cameras cost extra.
A guide is worth Rs 500 here, more than at most forts. The ruins have little signage, the layout is a maze of turns by design, and the story of the Obavva hole only makes sense when it is told at the place. Guides wait at the entrance; agree the price and the duration before you start.
History in five minutes
The earliest work is credited to the Chalukyas and Hoysalas between the 11th and 13th centuries, and Vijayanagara governors strengthened it after that. The fort took its full shape under the Nayakas of Chitradurga, local chieftains who began as Vijayanagara feudatories and ruled on their own after 1565. Bharamappa Nayaka, who reigned from 1689 to 1722, is remembered as their greatest ruler and built much of the temples, tanks and palace you see now.
The last Nayaka was Madakari Nayaka V (1758 to 1779). Hyder Ali of Mysore attacked three times, in 1760, 1770 and 1779. The third siege succeeded after the Nayaka was let down by allies and by some of his own officers, and Madakari was taken prisoner. The fort passed to Hyder’s son Tipu Sultan and then to the British after 1799, who garrisoned it for about a decade before returning it to Mysore.
The fort is also the setting of the best-known story in Karnataka’s history, that of Onake Obavva, covered below.
Seven walls, nineteen gates
| Feature | What the sources give |
|---|---|
| Seven concentric walls | Walls 5 to 13 m high, about 8 km of fortification in all, built around natural boulders |
| Gateways | 19 gateways, with four large entrances in the outermost wall |
| Watchtowers | About 2,000 |
| Area | Around 1,500 acres across the hills |
| Temples | 18 in the upper fort and one in the lower fort |
| Water | Linked tanks and reservoirs on different levels, so each overflow fills the next; no water shortage even in a long siege |
| Stores | Granaries, oil pits, a gunpowder mill worked by elephants and a hidden treasury |
The design is more subtle than the numbers suggest. Gateway approaches turn through ninety degrees between high walls, so attackers could not charge in a line, and the stairs between rings are uneven and steep. Torch holes are cut into the rock, smooth slopes are grooved so horses and mules could keep their footing, and carved fish-face markers show where water is found. There is even an open-air gymnasium for soldiers. Some mud-and-stone parts, including old storehouses, are crumbling in the monsoon, so stay on the marked paths.
A route through the fort
Buy tickets at the main gate and start early, because the exposed stairs are bare of shade by 11 am. This order works for most people, and matches the way the fort is laid out, from the lower fort up to the ridge.
| Stop | What to look for | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Outer gates and lower fort | The bent approaches, thick walls and sculptures of gods and a snake carved on the rock gateway | 30 min |
| Hidimbeshwara Temple | The oldest temple in the fort, with Dravidian carving and a legend tied to Bhima of the Mahabharata; a large kettle drum is displayed | 20 min |
| Sampige Siddeshwara | A small rock temple tucked under boulders | 15 min |
| Akka-Thangi Honda | Twin rock tanks, the elder and younger sister, part of the water system | 15 min |
| Onake Obavvana Kindi | The narrow crevice in the wall where the Obavva story is set, with the grinding stones nearby | 20 min |
| Ruined palace and granaries | Foundations, storage pits and the gunpowder mill | 30 min |
| Ekanatheshwari and Gopalakrishna temples | The goddess shrine believed to be the fort's presiding deity, and a Krishna temple | 20 min |
| Top bastions | View across the plain, and the monolithic pillar and swing frames in the central part | 30 min |
Read the stops as a menu, not a rule. A short visit covers Hidimbeshwara, the Obavva crevice and the top bastion in about 90 minutes; a long one adds the tanks and the palace. Wear shoes with grip: the rocky parts are slippery after rain.
Onake Obavva
Obavva was the wife of a soldier on guard duty at a watchtower in Madakari Nayaka’s time. The story, as it is told at the fort and in school books, is that she went to fetch water from the tank and saw Hyder Ali’s soldiers entering one by one through a narrow gap in the rock. Armed only with an onake, the wooden pestle used to pound grain, she struck each soldier as he came through and drew the bodies aside, until her husband returned and raised the alarm. The crevice is called Onake Obavvana Kindi, and the place is also known as the Death Hole.
Historians treat the details as tradition rather than recorded fact, but the story is a point of pride in Karnataka. Visiting the gap, you can see how a single narrow opening could be held, which is the design lesson of the whole fort.
Getting there
| From | Distance and time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | About 200 km, around 3 hours | NH48 towards Tumakuru, Sira and Hiriyur, which is a good divided highway; frequent KSRTC and private buses |
| Chitradurga railway station | About 3 km from the fort | Trains run from Bengaluru and from Hubballi; autos for the last stretch |
| Davanagere | About 61 km | Road; see Davanagere |
| Hampi | On the way between Bengaluru and Hampi | See how to reach Hampi from Bangalore |
| Nearest airport | Bengaluru, about 210 km | No commercial airport in the town |
Most people drive. If you go by bus, get off at Chitradurga bus stand and take an auto to the fort gate. The route runs past sunflower fields in July to September, which makes the drive pleasant if you do not mind monsoon cloud. For other distances from Bengaluru, see weekend getaways from Bangalore.
When to go
October to February is the comfortable window: cool mornings and clear skies. March to May is hot enough that the granite becomes uncomfortable by late morning, so go at 6 am. July to September is green and breezy, and good on a cloudy day, but wet steps are slippery and the highway sometimes clogs. Winter plans are in Karnataka in winter, and month-by-month detail is in best time to visit Karnataka; for rain, see Karnataka in monsoon.
A one-day plan and cost
From Bengaluru, leave by 5:30 am and reach the gate around 8:30 to 9. Walk the route above until about 1 pm, with a break at the Ekanatheshwari temple area. Have lunch at one of the dhabas near the fort or at the KSTDC Mayura Yatri Nivas hotel across the road, then spend the afternoon at Chandravalli, about 5 km away, where there is an archaeological site and the Ankali Matt caves. Return in the evening, or continue to Hampi the next day.
Our own estimate for two adults by car from Bengaluru: fuel and tolls Rs 3,500 to 4,500 round trip, tickets Rs 50, guide Rs 500, lunch Rs 500 to 800. For an overnight, stay in Chitradurga town or at Davanagere, then carry on to Hampi. If you are planning a long fort circuit, Vijayapura is the usual next step north.
Mistakes to avoid
- Arriving at noon. The stairs have little shade and the rock holds heat.
- Skipping a guide. The Obavva crevice and the tank system are hard to read without one.
- Wearing smooth soles. The rock stairs are uneven and slippery after rain.
- Carrying too little water. A canteen sells bottled water, but a filter point may be out of order.
- Feeding or teasing monkeys. Keep food zipped in your bag.
- Leaving the marked paths. Old storehouse walls are weak.
Chitradurga Fort FAQ
What is the entry fee for Chitradurga Fort?
Rs 25 for Indian adults and Rs 300 for foreign visitors, with free entry for children under 15.
What are the Chitradurga Fort timings?
The fort is open daily, 6 am to 6 pm on most listings. Ticket counters at the gates are staffed from about 10 am to 5:30 pm, so plan to arrive well within that window.
How much time do I need?
Three to four hours for the main sights. A quick look at the highlights takes about 90 minutes, and photographers often spend six hours.
How far is Chitradurga from Bengaluru?
About 200 km, roughly three hours on NH48.
Is Chitradurga Fort closed on any day?
No. It is open all seven days.
Who was Onake Obavva?
The wife of a soldier on guard at the fort who, according to tradition, held off Hyder Ali’s men with a wooden pestle while they entered through a narrow gap in the rock. The place is called Onake Obavvana Kindi.
Is the climb difficult?
It is a steady walk on uneven stone stairs and slopes, with benches along the way. It is tiring for people with knee problems and not wheelchair friendly.
How many walls and gates does the fort have?
Seven concentric walls and 19 gateways, with four large entrances in the outermost wall.
Can I visit as a day trip from Bengaluru?
Yes, with an early start. The drive is about three hours each way, and the visit takes three to four hours.
What else is near the fort?
Chandravalli archaeological site (about 5 km), Vani Vilas Sagar dam (about 32 km) and Davanagere (about 61 km).