Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c16.s5.t1.17

c16.s5.t1.17

The gate in the fort wall, opening into the barbican on the outside, leading to the big opening, is simple with the corbelled arch at the top. The width of the gate is 3.80 m. and the barbican is 13.80 m x 4.00m. There is an 'L' shaped wall in the middle of the barbican projecting from the eastern wall not connected to the other walls. It forms as if a closed screen to the opening. Enemy, when persued through this gate, will have to get into the barbican and then is pressed through the narrow space. On the other side of the 'L' shaped wall from where alone he can see the opening and the back wall of the Śiva temple. In a fit of fear and anxiety to save his life, he naturally tries to escape through the opening but actually falls fatally into the dangerous moat. The opening is narrow (3.00 m) and the back wall of the Siva temple provides a sort of illusion that the space inbetween the wall and the temple is an open space for escape.