Basavakalyana Fort

Basavakalyana Fort
Part of Basavakalyana town, Bidar District, Karnataka
Basavakalyana, India
View of Basavakalyana Fort
Site information
TypeFort
Owner
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionRuins
Location
Basavakalyana Fort
Coordinates17°53′02″N 76°56′53″E / 17.884°N 76.948°E / 17.884; 76.948
Site history
Built973
Built byNalaraja
Battles/warsSeveral

Basavakalyana fort, earlier known as Kalyana fort, is located in Bidar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Its historic importance is dated to the 10th century. The capital of Chalukyas was also shifted from Manyakheta to Kalyana in the 10th century. The fort, integral to the Basavakalyana town, is also famous as Karmabhoomi of Basavanna (founder of Lingayatha community) and hundreds of other Sharanas (saints of Lingayatha community).

Basavakalyana (known in the history as Kalyana) with its fort was the centre of a great social and religious movement, in the 12th century, because of Basaveshwara, the social reformer. It became a seat of learning. Basaveshwara, Akka Mahadevi, Channabasavanna, Siddarama and many more Sharanas are associated with Basavakalyana. Basaveshwara, in particular, fought against casteism and orthodoxy in Hinduism.