Ballari Fort

Ballari Fort, also spelt Bellari Fort, crowns a rocky granite hill in the town of Ballari and is one of the major forts of northern Karnataka. It is split into an Upper Fort on the summit and a Lower Fort guarding the slopes, and its high position made it a key military post for watching the country around it. Parts of the defences date from the 18th century.

The builders worked the walls, bastions and gateways into the natural rock. The Upper Fort has several rings of fortification, while the Lower Fort protects the approaches. Other features include reservoirs cut into the granite, old water-storage systems, remains of military structures meant to withstand long sieges, and traces of temples. Paths climb across the slopes to viewpoints over the town, best visited early or late in the day in the cooler months.