Your day can’t go bad if it starts with extremely spicey Andhra style dosa and sambhar. Ya Andhra style, which can make you eyes water and make your body burn from inside but trust me the taste is worth all this. So ya my day started with a roadside dosa and idli and of course filter coffee. As I sit here at Solapur station waiting for my train I can still feel it in my mouth. It was not the taste you forget easily.
Anyways so once the stomach was full it was time to fill the memory card of my camera so I left for Basavkalyan. Unlike Bidar, about which I still knew a little I had absolutely no clue about what am I going to do in Basavakalyan. It doesn’t even sound like an interesting place and for a moment I actually thought what if I skip it and go to Gulbarga instead. But sense prevailed and I thought let’s see. I am certainly not regretting my decision.
By the time I reached Basavakalyan entrance gate, which by the way is new but beautiful, it was already 12. I realised I would not be able to see the full city by 5 on my own. I needed some mode of transport and most importantly a guide. I took an auto to take me to all the places and drop me back to the bus stop.
My auto driver was a 55 year old Muslim gentleman who had travelled extensively across Karnataka. What more could I ask.
So we began out 5 hr journey. Kareem Bhai was my guide and auto driver but later I realised that he had taken upon himself to be my life counseller as well. He gave me sermons on religion, education, marriage, kids, life and even life after death. He was intelligent, smart, funny, sarcastic (specially when he apoke about other religions) and most importantly caring. I wonder why auxh people get stuck in life. Or may be they enjoy this life. Anyways enough about him. Let’s get back to Basavakalyan.
Basavkalyan, originally known as Kalyani is a small town in the northernmost district (Bidar) of Karnataka. It was given its current name post independence, it was named after Vishwaguru Basavanna.
History: Kalyani’s history dates back 3000 years but it was only in the 10th century AD when the Western Chaulkyas made it their capital that it came into prominence. Some scholars believe that it was actually King Bijjala Deva of Kalachuri dynasty who first made Kalyani his capital and not the Chalukyas and it was he who started building the fort. The fort is still called Bijjala fort. Between 10th and 12th century AD Kalyani rose to fame and became the main spiritual centre in whole of Deccan. It is known for being the birth place of numerous saints and is still home of many maths and sharanas.
Just like any other kingdom in India and specifically in Deccan, Basavkalyan was also ruled by quite a few dynasties. It has been under Western Chaulkyas, Kalachuris, Yadavs of Devagiri, Bijapur Sultanate, Mughals and Hyderabad Nizams.
Western Chaulkyas were actually renamed Kalyani Chaulkyas to distinguish them from Badami Chaulkyas. Kalyani boasts of a beautiful history and an extremely rich spiritual heritage. It was here that 12th century saint Basaveshwara was born. He was among the first few in Deccan to fight against orthodox Hinduism. He rejected the authority of Vedas and since then Kalyani has been a great centre of religious and social reforms.
Places to see:
King Bijjala Fort: The strategic location of the fort comouglages it with the surroundings which means the enemy can not see it till he is at the close quarters. This technique has been used by many forts across Deccan and Rajasthan.
Interconnected large boulders scattered on hills were used to make the strong walls of the fort to save money. The fort has concentric irregular walls which made it really difficult for the enemies to gauge the sturucture and launch a full fledged attack with great speed. The fort has seven gates, out of which five are still in a good shape. A deep moat which surrounds the fort is yet another defence measure.
Akhand Darwaza is the main door of the fort. All the palaces in the fort namely Rajmahal, Rani Mahal. Hydari Mahal etc are in shambles and need serious attention. I was told that it will happen post monsoon when the grass will be cut and the maintainence will be done. However the ceilings of the palaces show ornamental designs which is proof of its glorious past. There are also a few temples and a pond which is again in a really bad shape. It also contains a few old cannons.
All in all its just a ruined fort which is a great and peaceful place to walk around and get some gorgeous pictures. If you expecting a Mehrangarh or even a Bijapur you will be disappointed. Go with an open mind and you will have a great time.
Other places of interest:
A 108 ft tall statue of Saint Basaveshwara is a popular spot for locals. Its maintained well and will give you a few nice pictures.
Two really old Shiva temples at Naranpur and Shivapur village are worth a visit. They are believed to be of 10th century (they don’t look that old to me).
If you are spiritual kinds then this place is paradise. Basavkalyan temple, Basaveshwara temple and several Sharanas will keep you occupied and hopefully will lead you to salvation 🙂
A small lake which is surrounded by trees is a good places to relax and is a picnic spot for locals. It certainly is not a good photography place. Actually you can give it a miss.
Places to stay:
Though Basavkalyan does have a few options, your best bet is to stay in Bidar itself as Basavkalyan is just a day trip from there. And ya remember to stay in the Gurudwara at Bidar.
Places to eat:
This is going to be a challenge. The town doesn’t really boast of any good places to eat so I would suggest carry some snacks with you from Bidar itself. However you won’t starve, there always is an option to eat idli and dosa for survival.
How to reach:
Just like Bidar, Basavkalyan is not on the main train route. Actually am not even sure it has a railway station. But the good news is that it’s connected really well with Bangalore, Hyderabad, Solapur, Gulbarga and Bidar by road. Another good things being roads are really nice and well maintained.
TIP: If you are interested in traveling make a plan post Dushera. It will be a good and peaceful weekend getaway once the maintainence of the fort is done.
So now am sitting at Solapur station waiting for my train. My mind is full of so many things and so many stories. I know its Monday tomorrow and there will be office but guess what Thursday is not far 😉
It has been a fabulous weekend and 2 more Indian forts have been conquered.
Can you guess which is the next one? Answer to this question will be given next weekend 🙂
Travel with Rajat 