JAMALABAD FORT located 65 km from Mangalore and 8 km north of Beltangadi town, is 1700 ft above sea level and was formerly called Narasimha Ghada, which refers to the granite hill on which the fort is built. It is also referred locally as ‘Jamalagadda’ and ‘Gadaikallu’. The fort is said to have been built over the ruins of an older structure.The fort is inaccessible other than via a narrow path, with around 1876 steps to the fort that are cut out of the granite hill and lead all the way to the top. Jamalabad is a trekking destination, with the climb up to the fort being classified as ‘medium difficulty level’ and the the structure offering good views of the surrounding landscape and the Kudremukh range.