Since the time I landed in Bangalore, I have been keeping myself busy exploring the adventure and heritage trails around the city, for a month now. Honestly, I never expected that the vicinity of Bangalore is going to offer me so much because hiking trails here, had me see some of the lesser known heritage of the state. My recent self- guided trek to Gudibande Hill Fort in Chikkaballapur District of Karnataka got me to a Lord Shiva temple, around ruined fort wall which was unimageable because Gudibande is known for its brilliant hiking trail and fort sighting.
A Self- Guided trek to Gudibande Hill Fort and Sabbanahalli Lake
My trip to Gudibande hill fort trek was an impromptu one over a long weekend. Frankly speaking, Gudibande Hill trek happened because we had no where to go as our hotel bookings didn’t get accepted. But, I always believe that whatever happens, is for good because Gudibande Fort was a revelation in itself. The 17th century Gudibande hill fort coupled with Sabbanahalli lake is a perfect getaway for one day road trip from Bangalore, specifically if you are looking for a under 100 kms trip. To reach Gudibande hill fort, we started our journey at 7:30 AM in the morning from Bangalore and it took us approximately 3 hours to reach here. The road is pretty good barring few rough patches
On your way to Gudibande hill fort, you are going to spot few unnamed lakes, beautiful enough that you are forced to stop. A little ahead is Sabbanahalli lake where we decided to take a short break for lunch. Sabbanahalli lake is a great sunset point but we didn’t get enough time as we were yet to visit the Gudibande hill fort, which is about 10 kilometres from here. Please remember that parking outside Gudibande Hill Fort is free though the locals can ask for some money. Support them by buying a coconut water instead. Entry is free too
A distant view of Gudibande Hill fort
Reaching the hilltop of Gudibande Fort is a steep climb of about 30 to 45 minutes. The initial hike will start from 200 plus concrete steps followed by rocky climb. But, keep in mind that Gudibante Hill fort is a self-guided trek and you wouldn’t get any signage here. Though the path is easy to judge. There are a lot of bushes here through which you are going to pass with occasional visitors like chameleon paying a visit so please be careful while walking. Avoid wearing short clothes and carry water: Lots of it. Though there are no toilets 😉
History of Gudibande Hill Fort in Chikkaballapur District of Karnataka
Not much is known about Gudibande hill Fort except that it was built by a yogi called Byre Gowda during 17th century and belonged to Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagar empire. It is said to be a replica of Madhugiri fort in Tumkur district of Karnataka, though I am yet to visit the latter. While proceeding towards the hill top of Gudibande fort, you can’t escape noticing that the entire trail is in ruins but equally beautiful with caves and left- over temples. At least this is what rejoiced me. There are ample hidden narrow doors that I spotted indicating it to be escape routes in the time of emergency
The hill top view of ruined Gudibande Fort
The views just kept getting better as you go closer to gudibande hill.
On the top of Gudibande fort is a Lord Shiva temple which is known as Sir Rameshwara Temple, established by Sage Vishwamitra. The strong pillar with a square base has well sculpted images. The temple opens up in the morning and get closed after the arti
After spending some time on the hilltop of Gudibande fort, it was time to leave as the sun was setting and there are no lights here. But not before we checked another wall which gave us a beautiful view of the Sun set. The path to come here is get down from the stairs and take a left
Pro Travel Tips
I have already mentioned some of the Travel tips in the blog, but writing it down separately here for better understanding
- Gudibande hill fort is a moderate trek so people with knee issues can face difficulty in climbing here.
- Wear comfortable shoes, hat and apply tons of sunscreen
- There is no entry fee for Gudibande Hill Fort
- Carry lots of water as it tends to get hot here and you will not get anything here. There is no toilet facility here though
- Avoid wearing short cloths as there are a lot of bushes here
- Please leave the place before getting dark. There are no lights here and you might get stuck
- Please don’t litter the place and get the trash back
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