Wagangera fort western gateway

During the only visit to Wagangera fort on Nov 27, 2013, I had seen most of the fort, not all of it. Being a seldom visited place the fort has a wild feel. There was a group of grownup langurs spread out within the ruins of the fort. They were being langurs every bit occupying high points, watching the surroundings and then suddenly shift to another spot. I was wary of their presence, kept my fingers crossed and wished they left me alone. I'm sure there were a plenty of nocturnal wild creatures, tucked away in their dens. With such thoughts I explored the ruins right from the fort's main entrance which is east-facing to the western entrance.

The western gateway is at a lower elevation and less grand. However, at some point of time, when Wagangera fort was taken over the invaders, some sculptures were embedded into the gateway walls. The intent of that is obvious; for the invaders westerly direction has religious importance and they wanted to assert their beliefs on the local people. Directly above the doorway is this inscription which seems like Arabic.

To the right of the inscription is a relief sculpture depicting a pendant dangling at the end of a short chain. I've seen this pattern / design at monuments at Vijayapura, Kalburgi and Bidar. This might be an emblem of Adil Shahis or Bahamanis.

On the left hand side of the doorway are two square tablets with geometric patterns. Both are aesthetically pleasing, surely made by skilled hands. Again, such pieces of artwork can be seen at monuments at ancient capital cities.

Lastly, I have to mention this: Wagangera kingdom was established in 1636 CE by Gaddipidda Nayaka, son of Jakkappa Nayaka Desai. In May 1705, Waganageri kingdom reaches its end when Pitambari Bahari Piddanayaka establishes Surpur kingdom.

This post can't be closed without saying thanks to my host at Wagangera, Venkatesh Bappargi, and his friend Kanakappa Waganageri a dedicated school teacher.

.........

Sri Venkateshwara Devastana, Nargund

My first and last visit to Nargund Sri Venkateshwara Devastana was in October 2010. As you see, the temple Gopura is a handsome seven tiered structure. Even though Gopuras feature sculptures and are colorfully painted, plain white colored Gopura are not uncommon. It's the matter of financial backing the temple possesses, or maybe just to keep it simple. Anyhow, this Gopura is elegant. For that matter, the whole building is all white, a peaceful looking structure.

The mural on the crown shows Vishnu, his consorts Bhudevi and Niladevi, Adisesa, Hanuman and Garuda. It is said that this temple was built in the XVII Century by Maratha Bhave dynasty.

During the visit I did step into the temple. The interior showed signs of neglect. I remember seeing a lot of woodwork, but everything was in a state of disrepair. Maybe the temple was going through a bad phase financially. Also I remember there was a very elderly poojari about to start the morning rituals. The poojari didn't look happy and I didn't make conversation. I did a quick namaskara and left.

Opposite the Gopura is a smaller temple with a pyramidal Shikhara. The Shikhara doubles up as a Deepastambha. The little niches on the pyramid are for placing oil lamps. Imagine the pyramid aglow with a hundred lamps under a dark sky. It would be a sight to behold.

This set of photos has evoked a thought of another visit to Nargund which should happen soon. I did check out photos on Google Maps, the recent photos show a well maintained temple. Glad to know that this ancient temple is being cared for.

.........