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| 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.
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| The Mighty Fort Wall |
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| 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.
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| The grand Entrance of Mukhamantapa |
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| Pillars of the Navaranga |
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| Musicians, Drummers and Dancers at the Top Row |
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| Artistic Motifs at the Parapet Base |
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| 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.
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| Side-View of Old Jinalaya |
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| Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara on the Architrave |
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| Pierced Window with Floral Design |
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| Outer Wall with Partly Damaged Madanikas |
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