Breathing life into ancient tank

But, as things would have it, the tank rejuvenation programme only helped in digging out more facts about the history of the Bilgi dynasty. Literally so. Kotekere was believed to be the summer palace of the Bilgi (a.k.a Bilagi) dynasty near Singumane in Siddapur (Sirsi). Though there are no written documents or proof in the local administrative offices regarding this, locals say the fort built here belonged to the Bilagi dynasty. Records point out that Isoor was the capital of the dynasty. 

Kotekere in Kannada translates to a tank in a fort. Spread over 30 acres of land on a hill top, Kotekere has walls of over six feet height intact in many places. A dilapidated palace, houses, a vast water tank and a path built for horses lead one to believe that this was once upon a time a military bastion. It is said that the other side of the compound marked the kingdom of Keladi. From the top of this hill, one can now see the backwaters of  the Sharavathi river. 

Today, the tank area is hidden by a dense forest. Even D G Hegde had barely any information about the place.

“We had funds as part of NREGA. We wanted to put that to good use. Local residents told me that rejuvenating the tank could prove to be useful.”

Rainwater harvesting
The scarcity of water in recent times has meant that there have been plenty of experiments in rainwater harvesting, especially in watershed regions.

But at Kotekere, an excellent model of rainwater harvesting existed nearly 300 years ago.

The tank at Kotekere measures 60 x 60 ft. It has several steps, constructed with stones on three sides, while the fourth side is naturally barricaded by the rocks of a hill.

Was used in ancient times
The tank receives continuous water from two outlets all through the year. Workers believe that the tank was used for domestic purposes and maybe as a place where the kingdom’s horses were washed.

Further, water is channelised into the watershed area which is more than half-an-acre.
The watershed area has been created in such a way that rain  water is directly directed to this place. (Being in the Malnad region, the area receives a great amount of rain). The water is blocked on three sides thanks to the hill and one side with a 12-13 ft wall.

A tank full of silt
Because the tank has not been in use for several years, it is full of silt. More than 30 labourers under the NREGA scheme are busy de-silting the tank and building a channel from the tank to the watershed area. Later a small channel will be dug down the hill to provide water to the 30-odd houses present there, explains D G Hegde.

While clearing the silt in the tank, workers have stumbled on rare implements dating back centuries, including a grinding stone, cannon balls and pots in the tank. The Archaeology Department is yet to put a date to these valuables.

Outside the tank, one can find dilapidated houses believed to be constructed using  sand and stones.