Manjarabad Fort,It is just 5 – 8 Kms from Saklespur town towards Mangalore. 159km from Mysuru and 227km from Bengaluru. This fort lies on the very busy Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 48 at a place called Donigal, after climbing about 300+ steps you will reach the entrance of the fort. It is said that this fort was mostly covered in the mist and mist/fog is called “Manju” in Kannada. So it was named as Manjarabad fort.This is a Hideout fort built by Tipu sultan.Fort is built on a hilltop completely invisible to passersby. Star shaped fort which has 8 corners faces 8 directions completely secured for the king.The star shaped fort was also used to store the ammunitions, during the reign of Tipu Sultan. Out of the many chambers in the fort, some were used to house the horses. Certain chambers served the soldiers as kitchen and bathroom. Later, the tunnel was used to dump dead bodies. The fort has Islamic style of architecture and arched entrance-ways.It is better to visit this fort during or after monsoon as it will be fully covered with grass. When I visited green grass was converted into yellow. You will see some of the beautiful views of Western Ghats from the walls of the fort. The fort is filled with numerous tunnels and the rumor is that Tippu Sultan had built a secret tunnel from here to Srirangapattana mysore.the breathtaking views of the majestic western ghats is what makes the trip to this fort worth it. It also gives a serene view of the plateau towards Bangalore The inside of the fort gives a pleasant soothing feel and is laden with grass if visited in the monsoon season. It makes us forget that we are inside a fort. Walking around this small plain inside the fort on the natural lawn with the soothing breeze and drizzle is one of the most scintillating experiences one can have
