Madhugiri

Madhugiri is a Taluk headquarters in Tumkur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The town derives its name from a hillock, Madhu-giri which is to the north of the place. Madhugiri is a single hill. It is the second largest monolith in Asia. Nestled on its steep slopes is a fort. Antaralada Bagilu, Diddibagilu, and Mysuru Gate are the three gateways of the fort. A series of doorways leads to the hill. The ruined temple of Gopalakrishna is located at the top. The construction of the original mudfort was undertaken by Raja Hira Gowda in the 17th century around 1670 AD. An interesting incident prompted the Gowda family to considering building a fortress. A stray sheep went missing around the Madhugiri hillock only to return late in the night dripping with water. This was music to the ears since a spring would definitely be welcome sign for rain deficient area. A decision to construct a fortress was arrived and the task was completed. The Gowdas started ruling this region based at Madhugiri Fort.

Madhugiri is visited by many pilgrims who come to seek blessings at the two famous temples, namely Venkataramanaswami Temple and Malleshwara Temple. These temples have been built in the captivating Dravidian style. The main attraction here is the fort which has been made on top of a rock. It is said that this fort belonged to Hyder Ali, who had acquired this after the conquest of Bednur. He had imprisoned The Queen of Bednur in this fort until it was capturered by the Marathas in 1767 A.D. Th