A small fort in bustling town of Bankapura is safe haven for thousands Peacocks . This 139 acres of land is ideal peafowl habitat was declared as a peacock sanctuary on June 9, 2006. Any visitor to this sanctuary will not return without seeing a flock of peacock, our national bird, happily dancing in the sprawling sanctuary, without a care in the world.
This sanctuary is situated on 139 acres of land which has the remains of the historic Bankapura Fort. The high mound and deep trenches of the land have provided a perfect home for these birds. The sanctuary is located on the cattle breeding farm which was set up in 1919 after the First World War. The farm is located in 90 acres (360,000 m2), out of the total 139 acres (0.56 km2) of the sanctuary.According to a rough estimate, there are more than 1,000 peacocks and peahen in the sanctuary. Also, minimal human intervention has helped in the breeding of these birds. They walk royally on the 4 km mound and also perch on green trees. The officials of the Department of Veterinary Sciences have shown great interest in the conservation of these birds, making it easy for the Forest Department to carry on with their job.
In the center of the fort is Nagareshvara Temple. Also called as Aravattukambhada Gudi is a 12th-century Western Chalaukya construction. Bankapura According to the Archaeologist Henry Cousens (1854–1933), during medieval times, the Bankapura fort was considered one of the most important fortifications in the Karnataka region. According to Cousens, the temple suffered much damage when Bankapura fell to the armies of Firoz Shah Bahamani in 1406 CE and later again when it was occupied by the Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah. According to the writings of Farishtah, the Sultan “ordered a superb temple within the fort to be destroyed”. However, despite much pillage, the large temple with its majestic “great” hall (mantapa) still retains some of its original beauty. That the temple was built in honor of the Hindu god Shiva comes from two short inscriptions in the temple which begin with a salutation to “Shambu”. There are other inscriptions in the temple, two of which are dated 1138 CE and one dated 1091 that record grants to the god “Nagaresvaradeva”. The temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India
Near the fort is Baada (also known as “Baad”) birthplace of Shri Kanaka Dasaru. (1509 – 1609) . He was a Haridasa, a renowned composer of Carnatic music, poet, philosopher and musician. He is known for his keertanas and ugabhoga, compositions in the Kannada language for Carnatic music. Like other Haridasas, he used simple Kannada language and native metrical forms for his compositions. We can visit reconstructed fort , sit there and feel the vibrance of his teachings , going through his books and life history .