The Bangalore Fort

There is a place of historical significance in Bangalore..the Bangalore Fort as it is called. A good number of cities in India have Fort’s like the Vellore fort, The Kannur Fort..the Fort at Palghat and many many such structures. In Deccan many of these Fort’s owe their existence to various kinds of power groups since time immemorial..and many of them changed hands from time to time possibly to be modified and re-constituted.

The Bangalore fort for a curious traveler is very close to the modern day City Market. There is hustle and bustle there but a structure of ancient times stares at passers’ by. It is close to the Summer palace of Tipu Sultan. Who built this Fort..I don’t know for sure..possibly it has its origins from the Vijayanagar time to be later in the possession of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and later to be taken over by the British.

For many years the gates of this Fort was sealed with no entry for visitors and the structure being open for the public only few years back. The interiors of this Fort is relatively small with some kind of a residential quarters and a large garden adjacent to it. That’s All …..and at the entrance to the Fort is some kind of a dark dungeon where it is said Col. Bailey was imprisoned or it could even be Col Biard..but I was informed about this imprisonment episode. On the outside of the Fort can be seen a breach of the Fort supposed to be created by the English forces under Cornwallis.

It is worthwhile to see this place once  and also the Summer palace of Tipu Sultan few meters away. The nearest bus stop is the City Market bus stop. The entire structure looks imposing from the outside.