Antique water tank of Bailhongal

Bailhongal town was an important place in the XIX Century, particularly during the existence of Kittur kingdom. Apparently Bailhongal was under British control when during Kittur-British war of 1824. Rani Chennamma faced defeat and capture, she was imprisoned at the jail inside Bailhongal fort where she is said to have died in Feb 1829. Her mortal remains were buried at Bailhongal and a memorial was built in her honor. Very close to the memorial park is this tower with a water tank at the top. It is situated in one of the residential plots next to the avenue linking the memorial park to the main street of Bailhongal. The tower has a certain quality to it, the kind which makes one to look up for a long second look.

The architecture of the tower is unmistakably British. On inquiring I learned that the tower was built in 1950s by the town municipality. The tower supplied water to the locality around it. Back then, the town population was probably a few thousands. The capacity of the water tank could be 3000 to 4000 liters. The structure consists of a base, four multi-tiered concrete columns, a concrete slab,  water tank and a dome. The inlet & outlet water pipes and a metal ladder run through the space between the four columns. The engineers who built obviously designed it as a compact structure, with a small foot print.

 

The tower seems slightly neglected. Probably it was painted a decade ago. Also a thorny plant has grown next to its base which could be two or three years old. Despite the neglected state, the water supply could be functional. I wish the town municipality takes care of this 70YO tower and maintains it it, Surely it has the potential to be another historical monument of the town.

Also, close to the tower is the X Century temple- Sri Ramalingeshwara Devastana. The temple has been altered heavily with modern material but the columns & beams have been preserved. Also to big stone slabs with Kannada inscription can be seen at the temple.

Whenever you are passing through Bailhingal, remember to check out these three monuments.
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