Mudkavi Fort, located around 20 kilometers from Ramdurg, is a remarkable hillock fort in Belagavi district that still pulses with daily life. What sets it apart is its seamless integration with the village of Mudkavi, where a government school, homes, and community spaces exist within the fort’s historic walls.
The fort features a flag bastion near the Mudkavi bus stand and an elaborate main entrance complex with three distinct gateways: one for pedestrians and horses, another wide enough for elephants, and a third even broader to accommodate chariots and cannons. These entrances lead into an inner fort gateway, maintaining the original defensive layout.
For Reference: https://belagavitourism.com/destination/mudakavi-fort/
One of the key structures is the Maddinakoli, an ancient ammunition store built within a bastion. The fort also houses spiritual landmarks like the Hanuman Temple, a recently restored Erannagudi Temple, and ruins of another temple featuring a Deepastambha, or lamp tower.
Architecturally, the fort showcases six evenly spaced bastions along the western wall, while the inner fort includes five square bastions and one circular bastion. Its 7-foot-wide rampart walls extend directly into the fort’s lake, which still serves as the primary water source for the villagers. Gun holes, camouflaged stairways, and curved passageways to the lake highlight the ingenuity of medieval military design.
Spanning a five-acre area, Mudkavi Fort combines historical richness with contemporary rural life. While some structures are well-preserved, others—particularly the bastions and walls—are in urgent need of conservation to prevent further deterioration.
Mudkavi Fort is a living heritage site, where the past continues to shape the present. It’s a perfect destination for travelers seeking unique historical experiences intertwined with local culture and architecture.
Best time to visit: November to March – cooler climate and clearer views of the surroundings.
Travel tips: Respect the local community, explore with a guide, and don’t miss the water-lake system and temple shrines inside.
