Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c12.s2.3

c12.s2.3

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).