Jamalabad Fort

About this place

At a distance of 61 kms from Mangalore Jamalabad Fort is an old hilltop fortification in Jamalabad Village near Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. It is located in the Kudremukh range of hills. The fort lies at an altitude of 1700 ft. The fort was formerly called Narasimha Ghada, which refers to the granite hill on which the fort is built. It is also referred locally as Jamalagadda or Gadaikallu. Originally a mud fort existed on the hilltop. The fort was reconstructed over the ruins of an older structure by Tipu Sultan in 1794 and named after his mother, Jamal Bee. The fort is accessible via a narrow path with about 1800 steps cut out of the granite hill. Inside the fort, there is a tank to store rain water. Remains of a single cannon lie at the top. Jamalabad is a popular trekking destination and has been classified as a medium difficulty trekking site. The top of fort offers good views of the surrounding landscape and the Kudremukh range. The trek usually takes around 90 mins one way; the steps are very steep for most of the climb. At the base of the hill is a forest check post where visitors have to pay a nominal entry fee. Visitors should carry plenty of water since there is no potable fresh water available on hilltop.