Devanahalli Fort dates back to the 16th century and was initially constructed by the great chieftain Malla Baire Gowda of the Mysore Kingdom. It gained prominence in the 18th century, becoming the birthplace of the famed Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore. The fort has seen its fair share of historical events, including sieges by the British and other regional powers. Despite the wear of time, many of the fort’s structures remain intact, including its bastions, gates, and temples.
Devanahalli Fort is a fine example of the military architecture of the time. The fort’s solid stone walls are about 20 feet high and punctuated by 10 sturdy bastions. The fort also boasts a trench and a series of secret tunnels, which were likely used for strategic escapes during battles. Inside the fort, you’ll find a mixture of Hindu and Islamic architectural elements, reflecting the confluence of cultures in the region.
That’s what we can say or boast about this beautiful historic place outside the highly acclaimed Bengaluru International Airport. Anything else one sees or witnesses after visiting this place, like one of the quick touch-and-go hotspots en route to the other region icon, the Nandi Hills, is just a state of disgust. Every single wall, every single pillar, every single bastion or anything that one can see in this fort is, in simple words, mutilated by the numerous senseless tourists or locals who have visited this place over the decades. Names, Initials, Hearts, and you name it, you have everything carved, engraved, inscribed, and etched to an extent that you forget why you even visited this place, which is a witness to this iconic location from history.
What’s despicable, which one can realise only after seeing all these in person, is that the entire place is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India. There is not even a single security guard who is found, and we were told he comes once a day, and cleaning is taken up by some other 3rd party company which does it once a few weeks. There is no indication that this was cleaned a few weeks or months ago. The last time someone used the word “CLEAN” in this place should have been years ago. Plastic litter, Liquor bottles, cigarette and Chips packets, and worst of all, human excreta in every other nuke and corner of the fort. In the entire fort, we got to see one pole which housed 2 CCTV cameras, of which one was broken and dangling. Even when fitted, I wondered if it was connected to any DVR.
If left in a similar state, I feel it’s just a matter of a few years before this place will not only lose its identity but also go back to where it came from in history. No one will be able to witness such an architectural marvel, which is about 45 minutes’ drive from the city centre. Some form of legal or illegal encroachment from the surrounding properties and the consistent pace of littering and defacing witnessed is enough to sing a lullaby to this place.
