Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.s2.t1: The Remains of the early Historical Fort
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.s2.t1
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The Remains of the early Historical Fort
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From the entrance at the south-south east corner to the entrance in the northern wing of the fort wall, the width of the wall is more or less uniform and measures 30 m, at the base and 10 m at the top, and height being 20 m. Thus, the tapering is like a hypotonuse of a right angle, triangle and therefore the slope is steady. From the surface to certain depth, the fortwall is of clay. Now trees here and there are grown on the fort.
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The section across the fort at the south-south eastern entrance exhibits brick construction entirely from the base upto the half the height of the fort and of the period under study. At the centre of this section from the base is a structural laterite door jamb with an offset, that is obviously must be the jamb of the mahādvāra.
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From above the brick construction of the remaining part of the fort is exclusively of clay. In the opposite section, so far as the lower part of the fort is concerned, it is similar to the above description, but here a deliberate attempt of the construction of two vertical parallel walls in the core enclosing the width of 10 m is visible. On the exterior side of the two walls there is a slopy brick construction acting as buttress to the wall and is in line with the tapering slope of the opposite part. On the exterior side of the fortwall is a moat.
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We find that the construction of the exposed two sections at the entrance offers details in two respects:
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ie. 1) The presence and the absence of the retaining walls in the core of the wall.
2) The absence and the presence of the door jamb
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These two differences clearly indicate that the retaining wall exposed in section was concealed originally, while making provision for the door jamb at the centre. But in the recent times when the entrance was widened, unfortunately the jamb and the coping material had been scraped off, while in the opposite section (Fig.14) the door jamb is still in its original position. Although the finished surface on the sides had been seriously affected but not to the extent of exposing the retaining walls in the core in alignment with those of the opposite section.
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Thus, in the present state of their existance, although the sections appear different in their constructional details, originally there were no such differences.
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With the notice of the above feature, the original fort could be traced on both the sides of the entrence. By the close examination of the eastern wing of the fort from the entrance at the points wherever possible upto the entrance in the north of the fort wall, the fort wall is found to be exclusively of brick and mud construction and is of the early historical period. Now, the section of the fortwall from that point westwards and southwards has wider width, i.e. 45 (m). Thus it is 15 m wider than the opposite section (Fig.9). Further, the central core from the bottom level to a small height 3 m is of brick construction suggesting that it is the original part of the fort. From above the brick construction is the laterite structural wall again to a height of 5 m and again from the top course of the laterite wall rises the mud wall. The total height of the fort is about 30 m i.e. 10 m higher than the opposite wing of the fort. At the edge of the original brick construction on both the sides are the vertical retaining wall of cut stones and on the exterior of the walls on each side is the mud ramp which meets the clay part of the fort, making rather indistinct angles. Thus the slope on the both sides is not even. All these distinctive variables namely use of the laterite block, construction method, depressed slope on the sides and larger measurements indicate that original wall of the bricks evidently of early historical period, had been reinforced probably during the early Kadamba period.
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Further, the examination of the section of Diddi-gate (Fig.11) in the western wing of the fort wall, clearly reveals no brick construction in the central core. Instead, there is a wall of well cut laterite blocks 10 m wide and height 4 m and this wall has clear ramp on the interior sides leading to the top part of the wall which is exclusively of clay. We find therefore that the section here is different from the section described immediately above. This may suggest at least a part of the west wing of the fort wall is of still later period, when no bricks at all were used for the construction. Thus, the present fort oval in shape consists of the parts belonging to three different periods namely :
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1. The early historical;
2. The early Kadamba; and,
3. Presumably the Late Kadamba.
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The plan of the fort of the early historical period is extant to a larger extent comprising parts of northern and southern wings and almost entirely of the eastern wing.
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The Ghat :
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Another remarkable feature to be noted of the early historical fort is the provision of terraced Ghat (Fig.12) leading to the bed of the river Varadā and these terraces are partly made of bricks. The Ghat (llln.12) again, it is noteworthy, is almost exactly in alighment with the famous temple in the locality namely Madhukeśhwara, reasonably, therefore, this temple must have been there of course certainly not in the present form from the early historical period, and must have been very important in the locality.
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The moat:
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The exterior of the fortwall actually rises from the inner edge of the moat that runs all along. This method of construction has been deliberately done in order to avoid any space between the inner edge and the exterior base of the fort (Fig. 13). It is true, that it is normal feature with regard to any fort with the moat of the later period. What is noteworthy here is the earliest attempt of important feature representing in this fort.
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The moat is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top the former being about 10 m and the later about 14 m wide; the depth is about 4 m. The moat is sufficiently wide. The channel that connects the river with the moat, as mentioned above already, provided the necessary water from the river and it must have been, it is reasonable to presume, concealed for enemies planning to attack should not easily come to know about the source of the water supply to the moat. However, traces of the probable concealment cannot be detected.
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From the above critical analysis, it is obvious that it has been possible to trace only a part of the fort of the early historical period with its two main gates, moat on the outside and a Ghāt in the middle of the eastern wing. The plan of the fort therefore cannot be known in the present state of its existence.
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However, it cannot be ruled out that the western wing of the fort which is constructionally of later period, appears to have followed the alignment of the early historical fort. If this has got to be proved, it is only possible by a proper excavation at appropriate spots. If the excavation proves the suggestion to be correct, then the plan of the early historical fort is oval.
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The Second stage - the Banavasi : Kadamba period:
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The section looking east of the northern gates (Fig.10) clearly indicates the remnants of the wall of the early historical fort. The base being about 20 m,consisting of two courses now. From above the two courses, it is about 10 m wide upto a height of about 3.25 m and this forms the core of the fort. Now, on either side of the basal wall is aretaining vertical wall of laterite blocks and again from above the central brick wall is the wall of laterite blocks to a height of about 5 m. In between the retaining walls and above the central laterite wall is clay filling, that forms the upper part of the fort and the fort tails of gradually from the retaining wall outside to the ground level.
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Thus, it is amply evident, that the original fort which had fallen in ruins reasonably after the fall of the Chutus, by about the early part of the 3rd century A.D. must have been reinforced during the beginning of the Kadamba rule from the early part of the 4th century A.D. In other words, the existing fort was renovated by the early Kadambas.
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In the remaining part of the fort wall, the indications are available in the present state of its existence about the renovation of the works carried out by Kadambas. Hence it is not possible to ascertain the additions and alterations, if there be any, made by the Kadambas. Consequently no clear picture of the plan and the original constructional methods of the fort of the early Kadambas can be known.
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Third stage - The late Kadambas:
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The western wing of the wall has a narrow entrance in the middle, it is locally known as 'Diḍḍi' (=small or narrow) gate (Fig.11). The section looking south indicates structural laterite wall in the core supported by retaining walls on the sides at lower part. The upper part is of clay. The structural wall is again concealed by the clay ramp on the sides. The total width of the fort wall here at the base is about 12 m and the height about 10 m. Further the structural wall in the core is exclusively of laterite blocks, which differ in size from those of the section looking east in the north gate. Thus, the constructional details, the material used and the measurements are different from those of the early Kadambas. The western wing of the fortwall, therefore, appears to be still later than that of the early Kadambas, and may be assigned to the later Kadamba period. It was at the same time, it appears that the semicircular projections entirely of clay added to the exteriors of the walls to the northern entrance, serving as bastions and the watch tower, again entirely of clay that is raised on the fort wall a few metres away from the bastion to the left of the entrance, were added since such fortificational features are common during the 10th and 11th C. A.D.
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The Diddi gate is made narrow deliberately with specific purpose. Already two gates, one in the north and the other in the south, are provided as main entrances. Hence the Diddi-gate is not meant for regular and common entrance. A close observation reveals that certain length of the wall of the both sides of the Diddi-gate have been constructed so as to provide a narrow passage. Hence, this gate was meant to be used in times of danger by people for escaping. On the extreme side of the gate there must have been a moat, which in course of the time,must have been filled up. Now there are no indications that there existed the moat on the exterior side of the Diddi-gate.
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[Figure: FIG. 6
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SCALE 0 60 120 km MAHARASHTRA BHĪMA KRISHNĀ ANDHRA PRADESH GOA FORT OF BANAVĀSI VARADA T-BHADRĀ ARABIAN SEA KĀVERĪ KERALA TAMIL NADU Karnātaka - LOCATION OF THE FORT OF BANAVĀSI SK]
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[Figure: FIG. 7
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m 0 80 160 240 TO SIRSI NORTHERN GATE MOAT DIDDI GATE FORT CHANNEL FEEDING THE MOAT TO SORABA 650 625 610 600 SOUTHERN GATE (SE CORNER) 575 FOREST 550 TANK BANAVĀSI FORT DHARWAR L R. VARADA NOTE :- CONTOURS ARE]
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[Figure: BANAVĀSI FORT
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NORTH GATE DIDDI GATE MOAT FORT WALL MADHUKESWAR CHANNEL GHAT VARADĀ NARŪR AGASE GATE 1 CHARIOT ROAD 2 KANCHAGĀR ROAD 3 HALE MATHAD ROAD 4 MĒLINA KĒRI ROAD 5 RĀJAVAR ROAD. 6 KELAGINA KERI ROAD
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[Figure: FIG. 9.
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0 5 10 15 (M)
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EASTERN WING OF FORT WALL BRICKS OVER LAID BY STONES WATCH TOWER BASTION OF LATER ADDITION, IN LATERITE STONES M O A T ROAD M O A T
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BANAVĀSI FORT— NORTHERN (AGASE) GATE.
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[Figure: FIG. 10
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0 5 10 15 KM EARTH FILLIN. LATERITE STONE WORK HEARTING IN CLAY STONE EDGING BRICK WORK MOAT BANAVĀSI FORT — SECTIONAL ELEVATION OF NORTH GATE (LOOKING WEST)
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[Figure: FIG. 11
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0 1 2 3 4 5 (m) EARTH FILLING LATERITE STONE WORK G.L. SECTION LOOKING SOUTH]
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BANAVĀSI FORT — DIDDIGATE, TO THE WEST, JOINING THE WESTERN MOAT
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[Figure: FIG.12
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0 5 10 15 20 (m) FLIGHT OF STEPS TOP OF THE FORT WALL 20 m HEIGHT OF FORT WALL WATER LEVEL BANAVĀSI FORT - ELEVATION OF THE GHĀT LEADING TO R. VARADĀ.
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[Figure: FIG. 13
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⁰ 5 10 15 (m) 10.00 4.00 15.00 15.00 EARTH FILLING BRICK WALLING MOAT 5.00 10.00 5.00 GL 45 cms 7½ cms 22 cms BRICKS BANAVĀSI FORT — Section of Fort Wall at C
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[Figure: FIG.14
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⁰ 5 10 15 (m) CLAY RAMP BRICK WORK DOOR JAMB (5.10 m. ht) IN LATERITE STONE G L BANAVĀSI FORT — Section at Narūr Agāse (SOUTH-EASTERN WING OF THE WALL)