As I stood on top of the massive watchtower, gasping at the 360 degree views of the surrounding coastline. Suddenly my imagination went live. With a port full of boats, prospering with import – export. An army and it’s ships cruising through the Arabian Sea towards the fort and canons firing through the holes in the walls of the fort to protect the kingdom from the attack. Are you able to see what I saw!!
I am not sure if any wars were fought at the Bekal Fort. But I am sure, if they were, this scene would have come alive at some point of time in history. For, that was the whole purpose with which this massive fort was constructed – to defend and safeguard the Malabar Coastline. Along with several other forts like the Chandragiri Fort a little north of Bekal Fort, the forts of Goa like Cabo Da Rama, Aguada and Chapora Fort. And several other forts down the Malabar Coast all the way till Kanyakumari including Fort Kochi.
Table of Contents
History of the Bekal Fort Kerala
Bekal became a prominent economical hub and business port during the rules of the Nayakas in the 16th century. With the prosperity came the need to protect the port kingdom. And hence the Nayakas decided to fortify an area of the shoreline that was in the shape of a little peninsula, with the sea on three sides. Thus started the construction of the Bekal Fort. Which completed in the 17th century.
Later Haider Ali took control of the malabar region, defeating the Nayakas. And thereafter, Tipu Sultan made Bekal Fort into his important military base. Finally, when the British rule expanded in India and Tipu Sultan was defeated at their hands, both the Bekal Fort and the port lost their significance.
A virtual tour through the Bekal Fort
Having acquainted ourselves with the history of Bekal Fort, let’s now proceed on a virtual tour of the Bekal Fort. When we reached Bekal Fort, we parked our vehicles in the parking lot just outside the Fort area. The parking lot of Bekal Fort is very specious and well maintained. There is a parking ticket of INR 20 for cars.
From the parking lot, we proceeded towards the entry to the fort. Opposite the main entry to the fort is the ticket counter. The ticket charges for adults is INR 25 per adult for Indians. And the entry for kids below 15 years is free. There was not much crowd owing to the off season. So we quickly purchased our tickets and proceeded towards the fort.
Temple inside the Bekal Fort Kerala
The first thing we saw as we entered the Bekal Fort is an ancient temple right in front. Actually this temple lies outside the entry gate of the fort where tickets are checked. Which means anyone can visit the temple, without requiring a ticket. The entry to this temple is free. There are prayers offered inside the temple actively. Although I didn’t click pictures inside the temple, it is a very beautiful temple. With it’s wall adorned with colorful pictures depicting the tales from Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Bekal Fort information guide
To the left of the temple lies the path to proceed further inside the fort. It is here that on a big board, the history of the Bekal Fort is explained in Hindi, English and Malayalam.
Entry to the main fort area
To the right of the information board lies the main entry to the fort where the entry tickets are also checked. We entered the Bekal Fort from this gate.
The gate is massive, but not as large as the ones I have seen in the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, particularly the main entry to Kumbhalgarh Fort or Chittorgarh Fort – the two most massive forts I have ever visited.
The ruined structures around the fort
As you enter from the main fort gate, you will find yourself into a vast area. Which is divided into different segments of manicured lawns. Interspersed with structures that are presently completely in ruins. Almost the base of the structures is the only thing left, other than that everything else is gone. Although I did also see huge piles of red bricks. Which were indicative that the restoration work in Bekal Fort is in full swing. But, I don’t think it will be possible to restore these fort structures that are completely gone.
Underlying water canal in the centre of the Bekal Fort
As I walked further ahead, I saw an underlying water canal in the centre of the fort area. Either it was a water reservoir. Or it was a secret passage for entry and exit to the fort. I won’t be surprised if it even served both the purpose. Alas, there was no writing around it to help me establish if my theory stand true. I wish there were guides available here or at least enough information available to understand the significance of each of the structures inside the fort. Like there are in most of the other forts of the region including the Fort Aguada and the Chitradurga Fort.
Watchtower at Bekal Fort Kerala
In the centre of the Bekal fort lies a mighty tall structure which is the first one to attract the eyes as soon as you enter inside the fort. It is the watchtower of the fort which was used to keep guard over the coastline. There is a slanting pathway to reach the top of the watchtower.
From the top, one can get 360 degree view of the surroundings of the Bekal Fort. Which is very impressive and breathtaking. For, on one side of the fort lies thick coconut grooves. And on all the other three side is the spread of the ocean and the coastline. If there’s anything that makes it completely worth it to visit the Bekal Fort, it is the watchtower. After crossing through the centre of the fort area, the first thing we did was climb this watch tower. And soak in the 360 degrees view of the surroundings.
The majestic walls of Bekal Fort Kerala
After coming down the watchtower we proceeded to the wall of the Bekal fort on the farther end. While crossing through, we could see patches of thick plantation and some modern houses. Perhaps they are used for official purposes by the staff who are employed on the fort premises. And also to store certain things related to the ongoing renovation of parts of the fort.
After crossing these, we reached the fort wall. The walls of Bekal Fort are very impressive in terms of their strength. And there is a pathway that runs all along the wall around the circumference of the Bekal Fort. We walked along this wall, taking in views of the Arabian Sea and the coastline along the Bekal Beach. Until we circled back towards the entry-exit gate. From where we took an exit from the fort.
Views of the Bekal Beach from the Bekal Fort
There are several holes in the fort wall to take a peek outside. These holes must have been used to place guns and fire at the enemies in case of attack. To be honest, as I walked along the wall of Bekal Fort, taking a sneak peek through these holes and across it’s boundary wall at times, I could imagine scenes from the Game of Thrones when attacks happen on the forts from across the ocean !! Bekal Fort would have made for a beautiful location to shoot those scenes 🙂 Nevertheless, I came to know that it is quiet popular amongst the Indian film industry. As several movie scenes including a song from the movie Bombay have been shot here.
General information on visiting the Bekal Fort
- There is a well appointed parking lot inside the Bekal Fort. The parking fee is INR 20 for car.
- After the parking lot, as you walk towards left, there is entry to the fort on the left. And opposite it, on the right hand side is the ticket counter. Entry fee to the Bekal Fort Kerala is INR 25 per adult. Entry is free for kids below 15 years of age
- The Bekal fort is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm on all days of the week
- There are some shops selling general items like toys, hats etc. and very small local food joints dotting the road from the parking till the Bekal Fort entry
- The whole fort complex is large but it hardly has any shade anywhere. So, you must carry an umbrella when visiting here. It will give you protection from both the sun as well as the rain in case you are visiting in the monsoon season like us.
- Monsoon will be a really good time to visit the Bekal Fort as the cloudy weather makes it really comfortable to explore around under the open sky. But do check the weather prediction to know that there is no chance of heavy rain or cyclonic storm in the region.
- You should allocate a minimum of one hour to walk through the Bekal Fort.
General information on visiting Bekal
- Here’s our complete guide to visit Bekal with all the information you need.
- Bekal is well connected through road and rail to the nearby bigger towns and cities like Mangalore, Calicut, Kasargod etc. Our Bangalore to Bekal road trip was also a very pleasant and beautiful road trip that took us a total of 8 hours through beautiful hill roads to reach Bekal.
- Most of the year, the climate in Bekal is hot and humid. Although the months from November till February see the peak tourist season. April through June is very hot and uncomfortable. But once the monsoons arrive the temperate drops. However, when visiting in monsoons season keep an eye on the weather predictions and avoid heavy rain or cyclonic storm times to visit here.
- Pack tropical summer cloths – light cotton cloths for your trip to Bekal. Prefer full sleeves to avoid tanning and sunburn
- Book your stay in Bekal in advance to get the best deals and avoid last minute rush. Since we booked our hotel in Bekal last moment, we did end up paying a little higher than the usual cost.
- We stayed at the the Lalit Bekal Resort and Spa during our trip here. Taj Bekal is another luxury property. And Malabar Ocean Resort and Spa is yet another very beautiful property right on the beach. There are a lot of mid to low budget accommodations in Bekal which you can browse through using this list of accommodation in Bekal.
- Carry your umbrella, sunglasses and sunhat when visiting Bekal, you will need them most of the time when stepping outside.
- Book a taxi in Bekal in advance in case you want to go sightseeing and you don’t have your own vehicle. Since, the town is small, it’s better to avoid last minute rush.
- Mangalore is just a 1.5 hrs drive from Bekal in case of any emergencies you can always get anything and everything in Mangalore.
Declarations
PS: Our Bangalore to Bekal trip was an extension of our coastal Karnataka trip. As a part of this trip, we covered Bekal, Mangalore, Udupi and Murudeshwara. To know all about our trip and how to go about exploring the entirety of Coastal Karnataka, see: our guide exploring Coastal Karnataka. Some other resources from our Coastal Karnakata Road trip :
Sri Krishna Temple and Math Udupi
Kapu Beach & Malpe Beach – exploring the best beaches of Udupi
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