Have You Visited This Star-Shaped Fort In Sakleshpur Just 4 Hours From Bangalore?

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What Makes It Awesome

Manjarabad Fort in Sakleshpur is one of those majestic forts that's stood the test of time and offers visitors stunning views, a peaceful picnic spot, and a chance to catch up on history. It's a four hour drive (about 230 kilometers) from Bangalore, perfect for a road trip.

Manjarabad Fort, atop a hillock, is one of the many forts built by Tipu Sultan and is known for it's unique star-shaped design. Although the shape is hard to tell from a ground-level even if you were to walk around the perimeter, you will get an idea. The eight walls with the bastions that project out like arrowheads are what gives the fort its unique shape. The views are amazing, given that it's above 3,000 meters above sea level. On a good day, you can see as far as the Arabian Sea. On a bad day, use a drone to capture this!

According to legend, there are many underground tunnels that connect the fort to Mysore as well as Srirangapatna Fort. Unfortunately, these are closed by the tourism board, and there goes anyone's chance of being the next Indiana Jones. But hey, there's plenty of spots in and around the fort to do your best Harrison Ford impression, so probably you'd want to take a photographer friend to click the best ones. 

What Could Be Better

It's not the best touristy spots in Karnataka when it comes to amenities which probably explains the bottles and wrappers around the place. If you are planning on doing a picnic, be sure to clean up afterwards. 

Pro-Tip

The best time to go is during the monsoon season as the mist usually engulfs the fort. Tipu Sultan named the fort after the mist that engulfed it once it was built. Manjara in Kannada means fog or mist.