Madhugiri Fort

Madhugiri Fort climbs one of Asia’s largest monolithic granite hills at Madhugiri, about 45 km north-east of Tumakuru.

Madhugiri Fort, Madhugiri
Practical guide

Plan Madhugiri Fort

Who's going?Tailor Madhugiri Fort to your trip
Typefort
Nearest baseMadhugiri
DistrictTumakuru
Best timeOctober to February
Time neededHalf a day with the trek
EntryNominal
Places to visit4

It has multi-tier gateways, cisterns and a Gopalakrishna temple ruin near the top — the district’s signature trek, ASI-protected.

What to expect

Highlights

  • The huge monolithic granite hill.
  • The multi-tier fort gateways.
  • The Gopalakrishna temple ruin near the top.
Getting there

How to visit

  • At Madhugiri, about 45 km north-east of Tumakuru; by road, then a steep climb.
  • A steep, exposed rock climb — wear good shoes, carry water, start early and do not attempt it in rain or high wind.

Distance by road

  • Bengaluru70 km
  • Chitradurga130 km
  • Hassan95 km
  • Chikkaballapura90 km
  • Chikkamagaluru130 km

Road km to Tumakuru; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.

Timing

Best time

October to February; early morning.

Weather in Madhugiri FortSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Madhugiri Fort
Sunrise6:12 am
Sunset6:00 pm
Golden hour best light5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:00 pm–6:25 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌔 Waxing gibbous · 59%

Sunset is in about 48 minutes.

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Visitor notes

  • A steep, exposed monolith climb — dangerous when wet; keep to daylight and good weather.
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Top experiences around Madhugiri

3 more places around Madhugiri. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

fortChannarayana Durga

6.7 km · ~17 min by auto

A 17th-century hill fort built by Chennappa Gowda about 10 km from Madhugiri, at some 1,130 m, with ruined tiered gateways and herb-rich slopes — a rewarding, quieter trek than Madhugiri.

M
Midigeshi Fort
Place
fortMidigeshi Fort

19.8 km · ~33 min by cab

A ruined hill fort about 22 km north of Madhugiri with a summit Hanuman shrine and old fortifications — a lesser-known trek of the northern Tumakuru country.

wildlifeJayamangali Blackbuck Reserve

15.6 km · ~26 min by cab

The state’s protected blackbuck grassland at Maidenahalli in Madhugiri taluk, on the Tumakuru–Andhra frontier, home to a large blackbuck herd along with wolves, foxes and grassland birds.

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Before you go

Madhugiri Fort — at a glance

TimingsDaylight hours only
Best timeOctober to February; early morning

Entry: Nominal

Getting here

How to reach Madhugiri Fort

At Madhugiri, ~45 km north-east of Tumakuru; by road, then a steep climb

Getting back

If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.

Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.

Getting around Madhugiri Fort

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

If you need help at Madhugiri Fort
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Madhugiri Fort

fortChannarayana Durga

A 17th-century hill fort built by Chennappa Gowda about 10 km from Madhugiri, at some 1,130 m, with ruined tiered gateways and herb-rich slopes — a rewarding, quieter trek than Madhugiri.

6.7 km · ~17 min by auto · straight line
wildlifeJayamangali Blackbuck Reserve

The state’s protected blackbuck grassland at Maidenahalli in Madhugiri taluk, on the Tumakuru–Andhra frontier, home to a large blackbuck herd along with wolves, foxes and grassland birds.

15.6 km · ~26 min by cab · straight line
M
Midigeshi Fort
Place
fortMidigeshi Fort

A ruined hill fort about 22 km north of Madhugiri with a summit Hanuman shrine and old fortifications — a lesser-known trek of the northern Tumakuru country.

19.8 km · ~33 min by cab · straight line
G
Goravanahalli Mahalakshmi Temple
Place
templeGoravanahalli Mahalakshmi Temple

A popular Mahalakshmi pilgrimage temple at Goravanahalli in Koratagere taluk, ~30 km north-east of Tumakuru, revered for its self-manifested idol and busiest at its Friday poojas.

22.0 km · ~37 min by cab · straight line
templeSeebi Narasimha Temple

A Lakshminarasimha temple at Seebi on the Tumakuru–Sira road, celebrated for its 18th-century painted ceilings and terracotta and stucco work — one of the district’s most colourful temple interiors.

26.2 km · ~44 min by cab · straight line
templeDevarayanadurga

A forested granite hill about 16 km east of Tumakuru with the twin Yoganarasimha (base) and Bhoganarasimha (summit) temples built and renovated by the Mysore Wodeyars, plus a Sanjeevaraya (Hanuman) shrine — the district’s signature hill-temple climb.

30.8 km · ~51 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeNamada Chilume

A perennial rock spring in the Devarayanadurga foothills, said in legend never to dry (Rama’s arrow), with an adjoining deer park and nursery — nearly always paired with the Devarayanadurga hill temples.

32.0 km · ~53 min by cab · straight line
fortSira Fort & Jama Masjid

The four-sided fort of Sira, founded by Rangappa Nayaka and later a Bijapur–Mughal Deccan provincial capital, with the ASI-protected 17th-century Jama Masjid and the nearby Malik Rihan tomb complex — a Deccan-Islamic heritage cluster ~54 km north-west of Tumakuru.

33.6 km · ~56 min by cab · straight line
S
Siddaganga Math
Place
heritageSiddaganga Math

The Veerashaiva monastery near Kyatsandra of the late Shivakumara Swami — the "walking god" — with a Siddhalingeshwara shrine on the rock and a vast free residential school; one of Karnataka’s most revered living maths.

37.1 km · ~62 min by cab · straight line
templeMandaragiri

A rocky hill on the Tumakuru–Gubbi border, also called Basadi Betta, topped by old Jain basadis and the modern Sri 1008 Chandraprabha Digambar Jain complex, reached by a long stone stairway with wide plateau views.

39.6 km · ~66 min by cab · straight line
templeKaidala Chennakeshava Temple

A Hoysala temple about 10 km south of Tumakuru at Kaidala, the village of the legendary sculptor Amarashilpi Jakanachari, holding a fine Chennakeshava (Kesava) image; the Someshwara and Kodirameshwara shrines stand nearby. (Distinct from the Chennakeshava temples of Belur and Somanathapura.)

41.8 km · ~70 min by cab · straight line
G
Gubbi Chennabasaveshwara Temple
Place
templeGubbi Chennabasaveshwara Temple

The Chennabasaveshwara math-temple of the historic trading town of Gubbi on NH-206 west of Tumakuru, with the nearby Gadde Malleshwara shrine — an anchor of the town’s Veerashaiva heritage.

47.9 km · ~80 min by cab · straight line

All 4 places to visit in Madhugiri →

On the map

Where Madhugiri Fort is

Good to know

Madhugiri Fort — frequently asked

When is the best time to visit Madhugiri Fort?

October to February; early morning.

What are the entry fee and timings at Madhugiri Fort?

Entry: Nominal. Timings: Daylight hours only.

How do I reach Madhugiri Fort?

At Madhugiri, about 45 km north-east of Tumakuru; by road, then a steep climb. A steep, exposed rock climb — wear good shoes, carry water, start early and do not attempt it in rain or high wind.

How much time do I need for Madhugiri Fort?

Half a day with the trek.

What else is near Madhugiri Fort?

Nearby you can pair Channarayana Durga (6.7 km), Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve (15.6 km), Midigeshi Fort (19.8 km), Goravanahalli Mahalakshmi Temple (22.0 km).

Image credits

Photographs: Saurabh Sharan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Sangrambiswas (CC BY-SA 4.0), Saurabh Sharan (CC BY-SA 3.0). Wikimedia Commons.