Basavakalyana Fort

Basavakalyana Fort stands in the town of Basavakalyan in Bidar district, which was the capital of the Western Chalukyas from 1050 to 1189; the fort itself goes back to the 10th century. The town is honoured as the karmabhoomi of Basavanna, who founded the Virashaiva community, and of many other Sharana saints, and in the 12th century it was the centre of the social and religious movement he led.

Much of the fort is in ruins, but strong walls, carved gateways, courtyards and boulder-lined defences remain. A grand arch opens onto steps that lead down inside, and at the centre stands a red-stone gate called Akhand Darwaza. Within are the remains of Rajmahal and Rani Mahal, a temple with a square pond, an empty shrine thought to be Lakshmi's, several small cannons and a 694 cm gun named Navgaz. One surviving part houses an Urdu school, and a museum shows Jain images of the 10th to 11th centuries.