Originally constructed in the year 1537 as a mud fort by Kempe Gouda, a feudatory of Vijayanagara Empire, Bangalore fort is one of the most popular attractions of Bangalore. He is also known as the founder of Bangalore. Later, the fort was leased in 1689 AD by the Mughals to the Mysore ruler Chikkadevaraja Wadeyar. He expanded the fort boundaries in the southern direction and also constructed Kote Sri Venkataramana Temple in the boundaries of the fort. After around 200 years, it was converted into a stone fort by Hyder Ali, in 1761 who got the city as his jagir. The fort was the stronghold of Ruler Tipu Sultan till the time it was captured by the British in 1791, during the third Mysore War. The British reconstructed most of the part of the fort as house schools, roads, colleges and hospitals. The fort today is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. Bangalore fort is slightly in ruins, as at the time of British attack and even after that, this fort was badly damaged. The entry point from where the British troop had entered, the Delhi gate still hands tall and is an example of Islamic architecture. The entry gate has wooden doors with beautiful carvings and motifs. The other gates are Yelahanka gate in North, Kanakahalli gate, Mysore gate in the South, Ulsur gate in the East and Kengeri gate in the West. In the fort complex, there is a temple of Lord Ganpati shrine, around 500 years, built by Kempa Gouda. One can also see the wooden palace of Tipu Sultan in the complex. Today the fort consists of Ganesha temple, Delhi Gate, a dungeon, and remains of 2 bastions. Location: K R Road Timings: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM (closed on Sunday) Entry fee: INR 5 for Indians INR 100 for foreigners
