JOIN USRuins of a village and ancient waterworks
The water pavilions were highly remarkable constructions with a network of cisterns, fountains and spouts. On the walls of the pavilions, there are some noteworthy paintings which are fading. One of them vividly depicts a game of polo. Another shows a wrestling match in progress, watched by spectators in the vicinity. A third one is the picture of a musician playing to noble women. It is said that these frescos exerted some influence on later-day paintings. The water of the lake was not only used for cisterns and fountains, but also for irrigation of the lands through well developed canals.
You can still catch a glimpse of the control tower and the regulator. Till recently, you could spot water circulating around the mahals. Today though, that is a rarity. The tall Patargitti Mahal which holds a water storage tank is crumbling. There is a small mahal at the centre of the lake. The water of the lake is used to irrigate the surrounding lands.
To the south of the main mahal, one can see the remains of old buildings. About one km to the south of this, one can spot the remains of an old village called Halu Kumatagi. Nearby is a temple with halagannada inscriptions. The inscription also depicts figures of Nandi and Shivalinga at the top in the Chalukyan style.
To the north of the lake are the remains of smaller mahals through which water was known to circulate. Today, the mahals are used by owners of nearby lands to store haystack and fodder.
A small garden has been developed around the main building. The lake with a mahal in the middle has the potential of a tourist spot, with boating facility. The other smaller mahal found in the fields can be protected and developed as a showcase of engineering skills of builders of the earlier centuries. A large sign-board needs to be erected on the main road to provide directions to other Kumatagi monuments.