Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c18.s2.t3.10

c18.s2.t3.10

The contemporaneous mud fort at Hangal (Fig.55) which is added to the earlier fort i.e. Enclosure No.III is more informative so far as the interior plan is concerned. The extant main streets in all probability are the same as originals and the famous Tārakēśvara temple, which is the most important, is located in the centre of the western part of the fort. On the outside there is another enclosure probably built slightly at later date. It is surrounded by wide moat fed by the river Dharma, Ānekere and Achakere. Thus, Enclosure No.III seems as the citadel surrounded by the supporting communities living in between Enclosures III and IV. The fort consisting of the two enclosures of the period is roughly egg shaped. Being a mud fortification there are no reasonably bastions at regular intervals. The fortified earth work, taken together, in all probability is the longest in this part of the country, running in several kilometres.