Channarayana Durga – Trek to a forgotten fort (26th Jan 2014)

As the country celebrated Republic Day, along with delivering a small history lesson, I also visited a forgotten footnote in the annals of history. Channaraya Durga situated some 12 kms from Koratagere, Tumkur was where Darshan, Pratheek and I choose to spend the better part of 26^th Jan.

During a conversation with Darshan the previous week we concluded that a “Cousins’ day out” was long overdue and we decided to travel someplace the next weekend. On the evening of 25^th Jan, Darshan called me while I was driving back from Chamundi Hills to confirm if the plan was still on. I confirmed my availability and asked him to check with others. It turned out that only Pratheek had a free schedule and we decided that the 3 of us would head out. However, it was only after much discussion and deliberation that we were able to finally settle upon a destination, just before we started the journey the next day.

The destinations in contention were:

• Ghati Subramanya – Finally discarded as being too religious for a boys’ day out  ;)
• Sangama & Mekedaatu – Too well known and high probability of being crowded on a public holiday.
•  Bheemeshwari fishing camp – Little on the expensive side
• Channaraya Durga – Not a well know destination, No crowds, Easy Trek, Inexpensive – Ticked all check boxes and was chosen as the destination.

My day started early on the 26^th, waking up at 4:00 AM to prepare food. Packing breakfast/lunch was required as I had heard that there were no hotels nearby. Since we planned on travelling early, it was doubtful that the hotels on the highway would have breakfast ready. So for over the next hour and a half, I slaved in the kitchen sweating over a hot stove. As a result of my labour, yummy Vegetable Upma was ready in time to be served as steaming hot breakfast, just before we set out. For all my efforts, I was rewarded with the news that Darshan is running late. Our man did not wake up on time and was yet to get ready to come to pick us. Bummer… L

He finally made it by 7:15 AM and after a light breakfast; we headed out by 7:45 AM. It was a peaceful drive without much traffic throughout the onward journey. The only bugbear was the almost continuous road repair/widening work from Dabbaspet to Koratagere.  A few kms after Koratagere, we stopped to quench our thirst with some tender coconut at the roadside. Since it was the first time any of us were visiting the place (the other two had not even heard about it) we also asked for directions, to make sure that we don’t take a wrong route. The road after Koratagere has not been asphalted for quite some time and is a little deteriorated due to wear and tear.

We finally arrived at the destination by 10:00 AM. There is small village at the base of the hill, where we parked our car and started the trek. The hill has the ruins of a small 3 layered stone fort. The locals are happy to show the way to the top, if in need of directions.

There are no steps or a clear trek trail for the first half of the climb. You will need to go up a slightly steep slope and this is the toughest part of the trek. At the halfway mark, after entering through a large gateway, you will come across a dilapidated temple devoid of its idol on the bank of a tank containing greenish water.

There are two paths from here.  The path towards the right leads you to the fort on the summit and the one towards the left will take you through a couple of more gateways and fortified structures.  However, the access to the summit is blocked by the tall stone walls of the fort. I learnt this the hard way by taking this route and discovering that there is no way around the fort to the summit. Only after reaching this dead end did I see that we had another path towards the right of the tank at the halfway point, leading to the top.

We had to climb down till the tank and take the other path. This part of the trek is fairly easy as you have steps and a clear path to reach the summit. We were famished upon reaching the summit and settled down in shade for lunch. The Upma tasted even better to our hungry tummies and was wolfed down in no time. After relaxing for some time we explored the fort. We had a nice view of the village and a lake at its border from the top. We also got to see the nearby hills like Madhugiri & Devarayana Durga.

The descent did not post any challenges and we were able to climb down hill quite easily. The best part of this trek is the absence of litter and crowd. We did not encounter any other people on the trail. Only when we got down did we see another family starting the ascent.

We wrapped up the day by visiting the Hesaraghatta Lake for the sunset. Dinner was over a lively and animated conversation at a Dhaba nearby. After dropping Pratheek at his house, I finally reached home by 10:00 PM and headed straight to bed.

I would say that this was a Sunday well spent.

Channarayana Durga – A brief history

It is said that that the fort was originally built by Channappa Gowda, a local chieftain from Madhugiri. It is most likely that the name of the village is derived from him. The fort frequently changed hands between the Maratha & Mysore kingdoms. This was finally abandoned after the British laid siege on the fort during one of the wars.

Directions

Channaraya Durga is at a distance of 110 kms from Bangalore, located in-between Madhugiri & Koratagere.

For the destination proceed towards Tumkur on the AH47 (Pune-Bangalore Road). Turn right at Dabbaspet and proceed towards Koratagere on SH 3. After crossing Koratagere, you will need to take a left turn after Tumbadi village onto the Siddarabetta Road. After about a couple of kms, you will need to turn right and travel further for a few kms to reach Channarayana Durga.

Trek Info

Terrain: The trek is on a hill

Grade: Easy

Distance: 2-3 kms

Birding @ Channarayanadurga

The hills near Dabbaspet/Koratagere are one of my favourite trekking destinations. Other than being near home, I also get to spot quite a few birds. The feathered friends that I was able to identify on this trek are given below:

• Shaheen Falcon
• Rose Ringed Parakeet
• Hoppe
• Common Kingfisher
• Little Egret
• Red Vented Bulbul
• Green Flycatcher
• Shikra