Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c12.s2: The strategic location of the fort
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c12.s2
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The strategic location of the fort
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The present village (Fig. 22) is located on the western bank of the tank i.e. Agastya Tirtha and in between the two wings of the hills described as the North Hill and the South Hill. In fact, the whole hill range covers a very vast area several square kilometres. The top is almost flat, forming a big hill plateau. In the eastern valley's of this hill about 5 kilometres East and North-east of Bādāmi are Nāgarāl, Hale and Hosa Mahākuṭa. The south wing extends southwards to a distance of about 4 or 5 kilometres, but the north wing is practically an isolated knob rising to a height of 150 metres with very steep sides around excepting the north-eastern side. Immediately to the east and north of the hill are narrow valleys barbed by the ranges of the same hill complex. Thus North-hill forms as if a natural watch tower commanding the views of the narrow valleys in the south-east and north and the open vast fields on the west. Thus, the summit of the hill which is intensively flat is not easily accessible.
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Besides, in this hill are many narrow deep natural passages with steep sides of the rock. They are many and zig-zag so much that one who is unfamiliar with the topography of the hill would easily get lost or confused for some time. These passages are due to the natural deep cleavages in the solid rock. It is against this geographical back-ground, we have to appreciate the selection of this hill top for erecting the fort (Illn. C.1). It may be recalled here that the inscription of the Pulikeshi I, is engraved on the precipitous of southern side of the hill mentioning about the construction of the fort on the top.
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The fort wall has been raised along the edge of the flat surface of the high hill. Inevitably, therefore, the plan of the fort (Fig. 23) has to be irregularly polygonal. The actual main entrance here into inner part of the fort indicates an advanced stage of the fort architecture anticipating similar types of entrances' of the mediaeval forts. The entrance is actually from the west into an open court yard surrounded by the fort walls on the south-east and north. Incidentally speaking, the inscription (Bombay Karnātaka Inscriptions, Vol. XI, Part I, No. 1 & Desai, P.B.⸌et al⸍ 1970, P. 100) of C. 642 A.D. of Pallava Narasiṁhavarman I is on the steep boulder almost abutting the southern wall on the interior side. From the court-yard, is a flight of steps from the entrance looking east into the inner part of the fort. The gateway is narrow having a guard room on either side. The flight of steps from the entrance leads to another gateway that opens to a small flat area (Fig.24). Even before the second entrance is approached on the left side is a narrow flight of steps that leads to small open flat land and on this land are located two pillared mandapas providing a panoramic commanding view of the village in the foot of the hill, of the south hill on the other side, the tank and the open vast fields on the west as far as the eyes could see (Fig.22). The mandapas are stylistically of the early Chalukyan period and are situated opposite to the lower Śivālaya but with a narrow valley in between. These probably served as watch-towers really, but apparantly as mandapas in front of the temple. In between the two entrances, the path is very narrow rather steep and in between huge high boulders, having many narrow passages here and there. By following one of these narrow passages one can go very close to the place, where the inscription is engraved (Fig. 23). But the passage terminates into a deep valley at which point one can look at the inscription on the other side of the valley in the middle of the steep side of the rock. At this point there is a brick revetment and on the surface of the passage are sparsely scattered potteries of early historical Chālukyan period. After passing through the second entrance near lower Śivālaya, a path actually follows the natural narrow valley, irregularly zig-zag and ultimately leading to the top of the hill. The hill top is flat, fairly extensive now with a few structures extant namely the upper Śivālaya, a dilapidated masonry structure with stairways, a masonry tank and three granaries of peculiar type (Fig. 26).
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A little away from upper Śivālaya in the north western part of the hill are cultural debris of shallow thickness having potteries of the late medieval period and of the early historical period. At this point was probably another entrance that leads to a narrow constructed stone cause-way that runs across the valley and terminates at the side of the sloping hill on the eastern side (Fig. 22).
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From the above description of the topography of the hill and the plan resorted to for the construction of the fort amply indicate the realisation on the part of the architect of the naturally most suitable strategic spot for the erection of the hill fort.