Bankapura

Bankapura is a historical village in the Haveri District of Karnataka. It is renowned for the Nagareshwara Temple, the ancient Bankapur Fort and a peacock sanctuary. The town is easily accessible from the Pune-Bangalore NH-4.

The site has more than 50 popular archaeological monuments, including the Siddeshwar Temple, Galaganatheswar Temple, Shiva Temple in Chaudayyadanapura and the Tarakeshwara Temple at Hangal.

Bankapur Fort was believed to have been constructed in 454 AD and has been renovated several times by the Gangas, Rashtrakutas, Kadambas of Banavasi, Cholas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas and Vijayanagar dynasties. Adilshah of Bijapur, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan are the Muslim rulers who had control over the fort during the medieval period.

This fort has a 66 pillared Nagareshwara Temple and a beautiful mosque within its premises. The place has historical significance for Jains as Adipuran, a Jain religious text, was compiled here.

The complex of the fort is also used for cultivating fodder exclusively for the Khilari bulls. It has a pond that has plantations of acacia, neem and ficus plants along its banks. Agricultural fields of various crops such as maize, jowar and horse gram can also be seen on the way to Bankapura.