Many towns in North Karnataka are known to be dry and inhospitable. But some of them have their own golden periods when they served as historic capitals and business centres in the past. Basavakalyan in Bidar district, which appears to be a rather backward village in spite of being a taluk, once flourished as the headquarters of Chalukyan empire after their capital was shifted from Malkhed near Gulbarga. The solid fort built by the kings of yore has defied times and still exists as a legacy of an era gone by.

Situated in the outskirts of the town, the fort has a simple yet strong arch as its entrance with balconies reached by flights of steps on either side. The periphery of the open courtyard is lined by a series of cells, probably for the security guards. An empty pond with the pillar of a fountain stands in the centre. On the platform to the left, which used to be the place of gathering during Muharram, now runs a school. The path winds to left through another door which is under lock and key of the Archaeological Dept. and snakes up through two more doors to an open ground. Actually, there are seven entrances to the fort as usual, but presently five of them are intact. All along this path large stone cannon balls are kept like a decorative arrangement. But in the days of  kings their purpose was to be dropped from above on the enemy forces. The openings above the doorway were used to pour boiling oil on invaders. One cannot miss the well carved images of Yalis, the lion-like creatures on the fortwall.

The main fortification with palaces and halls stands on a high ground in the centre. The fort wall which runs around is interspersed with many bastions. Each of these has two sets of stairs  with a cannon at the top. Some of the cannons are small and simple. A few are ornate with scriptures in Arabic calligraphy engraved on them. All these strong bastions overlook the deep moat that runs along and afford good views of the surroundings. In the northeast and western sides are two deep wells with a downward sloping  passage for the oxen or horses to pull up water from below. The square pond which somehow does not look to be very old was the bath meant for royal ladies. Beside some bastions, secret narrow passages lead to open chambers down below and must have been kept as escape routes in times of emergency. Coming to the southern wall, a long cannon sits on a not-so-high circular battlement. And from here the central fortification with its   windows and balconies looks imposing.
To understand the significance of the fort and its  history, a tour with a guide is a must. And Mr Mehboob Gilani, a staff of the ASI, is a good one at that. According to him, it was as long ago as 1047 AD that the Chalukyan king Someshwara I, after a win over Rashtrakutas at Malkhed, shifted his capital here and built the fort. Later on, as the control of the fort was taken over successively by Kalchuri dynasty, Yadavas, Gayasuddin Khilji, Mohammed bin Tughlaq and the Nizams, additions and embellishments were made from time to time. As Gilani says, though the fort was built in 11th C, the cannons were added in 15th C.

The interiors of the fort have a lot more to tell the visitor. The door itself, called the Akhand Darwaza, is made up of only four huge slabs of redstone not found in the area. Climbing up the steps, the passage leads to an open hall with the Rajamahal palace. The 3 adjacent doors are ordinary but the ceilings inside are designed tastefully in colourful patterns. Also, the wall in the centre has the shapes of vases and urns and looks like a showcase of the olden days. Next to the palace is an empty temple. The hinges of its entrance have vertical stone columns with intricate sculpture. The foreground of the temple  has a square pond. Behind the temple to the west is the Rani Mahal with a separate path for the queen to reach the temple.

Beyond these structures, the path leads to a plain mosque and a record room after which on the right is the Durbar Hall where the king used to conduct gatherings. The arched pillars enclosing a small platform served as the dancing hall too. The durbar hall once had a series of wooden pillars all along which have worn out now and only the bases can be seen. At the eastern end of the hall is a waterflow channel with sharply carved images of fish. There’s also a 694 cm gigantic cannon popularly known as 'Navgaz thopu'. Beside this is a steep well, called Charaka Mota, with high steps to its top. The way passes through the Haider Mahal and leads to Rangeen Mahal. The finely done artwork, sculpture and paintings, make Rangeen Mahal easily the most interesting spot in the entire fort.

The four stone pillars that stand mutely once supported the ceiling which covered the whole place. Now without a roof they are left to the elements. The pillars along the wall are endowed with beautiful floral motifs in limestone. Even here the walls have decorative depressions in the shape of vases and jugs. The abandoned room has very colourful patterns on pillars and ceiling. With a pond and fountain in the centre and a stone bench, this was a place of relaxation for the royalty.

Finally, the path going back to the entrance passes by the Talim Khana, a cellar used as a gymnasium and the second bastion with a cannon called the 'Khadak  Bijli Thopu’, culminating a walking tour of this historic fort. With so many interesting details to be learnt, it is not just a walk but a journey into the past.

Outside the fort, the museum that is being renovated in a big way, has a good collection of artefacts of the 12th and 13th C gathered from nearby villages. The excavation process and the upkeep of the place is being pursued vigorously under the leadership of Sri K V Rao, a retired ASI official. However, improving the surroundings of the fort and providing better facilities for tourists need to be taken up on priority.

TRAVEL TIPS

How to reach: Basavakalyan is approximately 650 km from Bangalore. It is 90 km from Gulbarga which is well connected by road and rail. There are frequent buses to Basavakalyan from Gulbarga.

Food & Accommodation: There are many hotels on the main road.

Other places of interest: Basavakalyan is also a pilgrim centre for the Veerashaivas. Basaveshwara temple, Parushakatte, Anubhava Mantapa and caves of Akka Nagamma and Arivina Gavi are all worth a visit.