Belagavi Fort

The Fort Entrance 

The fort of Belgaum is an old fort built in the Chalukyan era which subsequently underwent modifications during the Bahmani rule. Though it seems like the fortification remains intact, the overgrown creepers and plants on the fort walls make it obscure. Sadly, most of the portions of the fort have least or no maintenance. There are many monuments inside the fort area such as the Kamal Basti, Old Jaina Temple, Shiva Temple, Military Durgadevi Temple, the Jamia Masjid and so on.

The Mighty Fort Wall 

The High Fort Wall

On the opposite side of the Kamal Basti is another ruined Jaina temple facing south. Based on the inscriptions, the temple can be dated to have been built roughly around the 10th century. While the garbagriha and sukhanasi have completely disappeared, the ruined temple now survives only with a navaranga and mukhamantapa. They are built on a low elevated Jagati (platform). The navaranga entrance door is intricately carved with various geometrical patterns and floral designs. The pillars of the navaranga are huge, unusually tall and mostly plain with varying cross-sectional shapes and beaded carvings on its circular portions. The mukhamantapa has a kakhshasana (stone bench) and four pillars in its front. The parapet of the kakhshasana (stone bench) in the mukhamantapa exhibits on its external side, rows of artistic geometrical motifs at the base and impressive statuettes of musicians, drummers and dancers at the top portions with bands of floral designs and miniature pillars in between them. It proves to be a great piece of art-work. The outer walls of the temple are plain having horizontal mouldings and projections with koshtas or niches on the eastern and western walls.

The grand Entrance of Mukhamantapa

Pillars of the Navaranga

Musicians, Drummers and Dancers at the Top Row

Artistic Motifs at the Parapet Base

Intricately Carved Door-Jamb

The fort area also houses a ruined Shiva temple facing east and built during the 12th century. Originally this temple is believed to have been built as a trikutachala with three garbagrihas.  Devoid of any shikaras, the only remains of the temple now is the navaranga with four doorways and four pillars. The pillars have engravings of floral designs and geometrical patterns. The entrance doorway is grand with multiple door jambs and fine carvings along with an image of Lord Ganapathy at the center of the lintel. The architrave on the doorway of the navaranga is adorned with sculptures of Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara in the accompaniment of drummers and musicians and other gods. They have pierced windows decorated with floral carvings.  The outer walls are plain with a few partly damaged sculptures of madanikas in various poses. A few meters away from the ruined Shiva temple is the Jamia Masjid which unfortunately looks completely abandoned.

Side-View of Old Jinalaya

Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara on the Architrave

Pierced Window with Floral Design

Outer Wall with Partly Damaged Madanikas

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Belagavi - Kamal Basadi

Belgaum also known as Belagavi, the largest district of Karnataka houses many monuments of historical importance. Amongst them, a few of  which have survived the tests of time and now included in the ASI’s protected monuments list  include the Kamal Basti/Kamala Basadi or Ratta Jinalaya, an old Jain temple inside the fort area of Belgaum. Built in the later Chalukyan style in 1204 A.D. by Bichana, a minister of Kartavirya IV of Ratta dynasty, Kamal Basti catches one’s eye for its neat geometrics that are meticulously executed.

The Grand Entrance

The Kamal Basti has a garbagriha, sukhanasi/antarala (vestibule/ante-chamber), navaranga and mukhamantapas. The garbagriha facing north is star shaped and houses an idol of Bhagwan Neminatha, the 22nd thirthankara, replacing the original image of Shanthinatha, is seated in the Dhyana (mediation) posture and carved in black stone. The prabhavali behind the idol is quite artistic with floral designs and makara toranas. The garbagriha entrance has intricate carvings on its door jambs.

The Majestic Door Frame

The antarala in front of the garbagriha has perforated window screens at its entrance with carvings of makaras and image of seated Jaina figure on its lintel.The lathe turned pillars of the navaranga have floral designs and geometrical engravings. Idols of a few thirthankaras can be seen inside and in the wall niches.The mukhamantapa has three entrances with stone benches on its periphery. The ceiling of the mukhamantapa is decorated with a profuse carving of a huge lotus, because of which over a period of time the Basti also came to be known as Kamal (lotus) Basti. On the ceiling can also be seen the projected idols of ashtadikpalakas in the eight cardinal directions (two seem missing) and comparatively smaller images of jaina thirthankaras in between them. The glossy lathe turned pillars of the mukhamantapa though mostly plain with minimal carvings are very skillfully executed.

The Beautiful Lathe Turned Pillars 

Beautiful Central Ceiling 

The lovely shikaras atop the garbagriha and mukhamantapa are of Kadambanagara style (stepped pyramidal type). The central ceiling of the mukhamantapa bears resemblance to Tarakeshwara temple of Hanagal (Haveri district). The external walls are plain with horizontal mouldings/bands and exhibit various patterns of geometry. It surely is a visual treat to the eyes and only intrigues us with the kind of techniques and methods used and the skill possessed by men of those times for such brilliant execution. This temple is maintained by the ASI with the help of local caretakers. Well maintained gardens around the temple only add to the temple’s beauty.

The Majestic Mukhamantapas 

Kamal Basadi, Belagavi 

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