Jaladurga Fort is known as the Island Fort because it situated on an island in the Krishna River. This fort is located in the Raichur district of Karnataka, precisely in the Lingspur Taluk. Tourists, who want to visit this fort, can use the bridge that connects the fort and the main land. This is quite a scenic fort as one portion of the fort still opens into the serene gorges of the Krishna River. This fort was constructed by Bijapur dynasty’s Adil Shahi rulers. It is indeed unfortunate that today, there are not enough evidences to prove that these kings ruled over from Raichur or had used this fort their defence purposes.

History

The Jaladurga Fort that was constructed by the Adil Shahi rulers of the Bijapur dynasty many centuries ago served an important rule during their rein. When enemies attacked this fort, they were killed by the powerful Adil Shahi rulers and were dumped into the gorges of the Krishna River, from which they could never escape. Jaladurga, in the language of Kannada means “fort on water”. This is a unique fort in the country as it is constructed on an island on top of a hill in the midst of the Krishna River. The Adil Shahi rulers constructed this place mainly as a defence strategy and to take advantage of the hideous location.

Architecture

Today, we are only presented with the remnants of the Jaladurga Fort. From these ruins, we can understand how impressive their gateways were and how spaciously their bastions were constructed. It is evident from the structure of the fort that it housed a huge palace and cellar within its premises during its glorious past. There were 7 gateways for this fort and huge, sturdy walls made of stone were constructed around the fort, to make it a remote hiding place to track and defeat enemies. As in the case of many other forts, there were quite a few tombs of rulers constructed inside the Jaladurga fort as well, however, it is difficult to identify the tombs with the names of the rulers. In the yesteryears, when the fort was very much in shape, it used to attract many tourists. Tourists needed to cross the Yellamma temple and Sangameshwara Matha Temple for getting into the insides of the fort. Legend has it that an underground tunnel used to connect the fort with the temples, but nothing is evident these days as the passage is covered with a dense growth of shrubs and grass.

Best Time to Visit

Since the fort is an almost dilapidated condition, it doesn’t attract tourists at all these days. The ruins are located in the midst of water, hence it could be dangerous to get to this fort as the passages are all destroyed today.

Timings & Tickets

The fort doesn’t have any particular opening and closing times as it is not in a proper condition today. Also entry fees are not chargeable for kids and adults who wish to come here.

How to Reach

Air

Hubli airport, at a distance of about 174km from Lingspur Taluk, is the nearest airport to this fort.

Rail

Almatti railway station, at a distance of around 69km from Lingspur, is the closest rail head.

Road

Many government and private sector buses from important cities like Bangalore, Belgaum and Bijapur ply to Lingspur on a daily basis. From Lingspur, autos, cabs and taxis are available in plenty.