Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c15.s2.9

c15.s2.9

Enclosure-I (N:S 500 M, E:W 200 M) is irregularly oval shaped in plan, north-south oriented that may be taken as citadel within Enclosure-II. The citadel has only one entrance at north-west corner looking west, and is rectangular on plan having opening near the southern wall. At the corner point is a watch-tower (Fig. 54) with flight of steps at the interior corner, tapering towards the flat top. The tower is 50 m wide at the bottom and 38 m high. At the top is a stone square platform with the flat post at the centre. The entrance leads to a small closed area i.e. barbican and at the middle. Another part is again an opening leading to another barbican which opens into the interior of the citadel. Within the citadel there are no structural remains now extant, excepting a temple known as Īśvara temple of the 11th or 12th century. The wall is unusually very high about 25.00 m. and 20 m. wide at the bottom. The wall steeply tapers towards the top resulting in rounded top. The section reveals two parallel core walls of laterite stones with 10 m. space inbetween. Each wall is about 2.00 m. wide. Within the walls and outside, the space is compactly filled with mud and also over them. Consequently the walls are not visible from outside. On the exterior side is a wide moat, about 25 m. wide, that runs round the II enclosure. It is filled with water fed by a tank now known as Shastri tank, which is within the II and III enclosures at the north-east corner.