🏰 Kavaledurga Fort

Kavualedurga Fort is a 9th-century fort 18 km (11 mi) from Thirthahalli, Shimoga. It was the fourth and last capital of Keladi kingdom. The fort was administered by the Keladi Nayakas from 1499 and later asserted its independence following the 1565 fall of Vijayanagara, enduring sieges and serving as a refuge for figures such as Queen Chennamma in 1677 and the Maratha prince Rajaram in 1689. Under successive Mysore rulers it saw intermittent garrison use before gradual abandonment left its concentric walls, hidden stairways, and temple ruins to decay amid lush monsoon foliage.