Photos: Vishwanath Suvarna photographs the forgotten forts of Karnataka

• Photojournalist Vishwanath Suvarna spent 18 months trekking all over Karnataka, tracking down famous and forgotten forts, citadels and lookout towers. In August, 600 of these photographs were published as a coffee-table book, The Golden Views of Karnataka, in English, with a more concise version in Kannada released in 2017.

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This grand fort at Gulbarga — earlier Kalburgi — in northern Karnataka is said to have been built by a local ruler, Raja Gulchand. Later, the founder of the Bahmani dynasty, Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah (r. 1347-1358) added the main citadel, called the Bala Hissar that still sits at the centre of the fort.(Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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The Badami Fort is a renowned archaeological site in the town of Badami. It is located on top of a hill about 2 km from the town, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. The fort dates back to 543 AD and is said to have been built by the Chalukya King Pulakeshi.(Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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The Chitradurga Fort was built in parts, between the 11th and 13th centuries, by dynastic rulers of the region, including the Chalukyas and Hoysalas, and later modified by the Nayakas of Chitradurga of the Vijaynagar Empire. At the fort, there are about 19 main gateways, 35 fortified doors, secret pathways and numerous water ponds and oil ponds. The fort is spread over 1,500 acres across a cluster of hills.(Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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In the dense forests of northern Karnataka, Suvarna sought out the forgotten Mirjan fort in Uttara Kannada district, said to have been built during the reign of the 16th-century Queen Chennabharadevi, known as the Pepper Queen of India.(Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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Gummanayakana Kote is a fort located in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. It is said to be among the oldest forts in Karnataka, built in 1350 by a feudal chieftain, Byregowda, of the Vijayanagara empire.

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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The Kempe Gowda / Bangalore Fort was originally constructed in 1537 as a mud fortification. Its builder was Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijaynagar Empire who is also widely regarded as the founder of Bengaluru. Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysuru rebuilt the mud fort as a stone fort in 1761 and it was further improved by Tipu Sultan, in the 18th century.(Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST

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Bahaddur Bande Fort is situated in Bahaddur Bande village, 4 km from Koppal town. It is one of the most prominent heritage structures in the region. This sprawling hill fort houses several structures of note that include temples, an amphitheatre that was used for live performances, and several water tanks. (Photo by Vishwanath Suvarna)

UPDATED ON FEB 20, 2021 03:06 PM IST