Bankapura
Encyclopedia
Bankapura is a panchayat town in Haveri district
in the state of Karnataka
, India
. It is in Shiggaon
taluk, is just 2.5 km from the Pune
-Bangalore
national highway NH4, 22 km from Haveri
town. Bankapur is about 45 km from Hubli-Dharwad. An historical site, Bankapura is famous for the Nagareshwara temple, Bankapur fort, The peacock sanctuary.
like Siddeshwar temple Haveri
and Galaganatheswar temple Galaganatha
in Haveri taluk, Shiva
temple in Chaudayyadanapura
of Ranebennur , Tarakeshwar temple at Hangal
, etc., in the district.
Ten-year-old Haveri
has many distinct features, the district has the rare distinction of housing a Black Buck Sanctuary and a Peacock Sanctuary, second only to the one in Uttaranchal. Bankapur is now considered as a conservation reserve for peacocks
by the Government of India
.
Under the Chalukyas, many beautiful temples were built here, but during the invasion of Ali Adilshahi in about 1567 most of the temples were destroyed. A fort, now in ruins, at Bankapura houses the Ranganatha Nagareshwara temple, which has 66 pillars carved out of grey stone. There is also a beautiful mosque in the fort. The place is of historical significance to Jains. Adipuran, a Jain religious text was composed here.
Bankapur fort (454 A D), was ruled by Kadamba of Banavasi
, Gangas
, Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Kings of Vijayanagar
, Adilshahi of Bijapur
, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
The impressive Bankapur fort area has the eye catching 66 pillared Nagareshwar temple. The fort area comprises 139.1 acre (0.562918226 km²) of land of, which 52.1 acres (210,841.4 m²) is reserved for the popularly known Mayura Vana, the abode of the peacocks for three decades.
The banks of the moat are covered with Acacia, Neem and Ficus plants. Crops like maize, jowar and horse gram grown regularly for cattle are delicacies of the peafowl.
The peacock sanctuary in Bankapura is the only second sanctuary in the country that is exclusively engaged in the conservation and breeding of peacocks.
Understanding the great presence of peacocks in the region, the Government of India declared Bankapura 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 way back in 1919 during the first world war period. The farm is located in 90 acres (364,217.4 m²), out of the total 139 acre (0.56251354 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.
Bankpur Fort is home for not only for peafowl, but also a number of other birds like wood pecker, great-horned owl, babbler, magpie, robin, green bee eater, nightjar, spotted maina, paradise flycatcher, Indian robin, spotted dove, parakeets, kingfisher, grey hornbill, blue tailed bee eater, blacked winged kite, tailor bird etc.
, Bankapura had a population of 20,264. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bankapura has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Haveri District
Haveri is a district in the state of Karnataka, India with the potential to become a tourist hub. As of 2001, it had a population of 1,439,116 of which 20.78% were urban residents.-Tourism:Examples of tourist attractions in the district:...
in the state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is in Shiggaon
Shiggaon
Shiggaon is a panchayat town in Haveri district in the Indian state of Karnataka.-Geography:Shiggaon is 465 km from Pune and 365 km from Bangalore on NH 4 .Shiggaon taluk was earlier in Dharwad district...
taluk, is just 2.5 km from the Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
-Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
national highway NH4, 22 km from Haveri
Haveri
Haveriis a town in Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Haveri District. The name Haveri is derived from the Kannada words havu and keri, which means place of snakes. Haveri is famous for its cardamom garlands. It is said that Haveri had around 1000 maths in ancient days. One of...
town. Bankapur is about 45 km from Hubli-Dharwad. An historical site, Bankapura is famous for the Nagareshwara temple, Bankapur fort, The peacock sanctuary.
Introduction
There are more than 50 popular archaeological monuments in Haveri DistrictHaveri District
Haveri is a district in the state of Karnataka, India with the potential to become a tourist hub. As of 2001, it had a population of 1,439,116 of which 20.78% were urban residents.-Tourism:Examples of tourist attractions in the district:...
like Siddeshwar temple Haveri
Haveri
Haveriis a town in Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Haveri District. The name Haveri is derived from the Kannada words havu and keri, which means place of snakes. Haveri is famous for its cardamom garlands. It is said that Haveri had around 1000 maths in ancient days. One of...
and Galaganatheswar temple Galaganatha
Galaganatha
Galaganatha is a small village located in Haveri Taluk and Haveri District, North Karnataka.It has a famous temple called Galageshwara Shiva Temple built by chalukyas. This large temple faces east and is situated along the Tungabhadra river. The rivers Tunga and Varada join at this place.- History...
in Haveri taluk, Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple in Chaudayyadanapura
Chaudayyadanapura
Chaudayyadanapura is a small village in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri District in North Karnataka, Karnataka. All facets of Indian civilisation are exemplified in an exquisite Mukteshwara temple, with the highest degree of refinement.-Introduction:The North Karnataka is one of the richest areas of...
of Ranebennur , Tarakeshwar temple at Hangal
Hangal
Hangal is a town in Haveri district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is 75 km away from Hubli-Dharwad.It is on the left bank of the Dharma river, and has ruins of some fortification on the...
, etc., in the district.
Ten-year-old Haveri
Haveri
Haveriis a town in Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Haveri District. The name Haveri is derived from the Kannada words havu and keri, which means place of snakes. Haveri is famous for its cardamom garlands. It is said that Haveri had around 1000 maths in ancient days. One of...
has many distinct features, the district has the rare distinction of housing a Black Buck Sanctuary and a Peacock Sanctuary, second only to the one in Uttaranchal. Bankapur is now considered as a conservation reserve for peacocks
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
History
Bankapur fort (454 A D), was ruled by Kadamba of Banavasi
Banavasi
Banavasi is an ancient temple town in Uttara Kannada District bordering Shivamogga district in the South Indian state of Karnataka .-History:Banavasi is one of the oldest towns in the Karnataka state...
, Gangas
Gangas
The Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India. They are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa...
, Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Kings of Vijayanagar
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
, Adilshahi of Bijapur
Adil Shahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
Nagareshwar temple
The peacock sanctuary
Fodder grown exclusively for Khilari bulls in the area has become an ideal peafowl habitat. The moat is about 36 km long, 10–15 metres wide and 7–8 metres deep.The banks of the moat are covered with Acacia, Neem and Ficus plants. Crops like maize, jowar and horse gram grown regularly for cattle are delicacies of the peafowl.
Understanding the great presence of peacocks in the region, the Government of India declared Bankapura 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 way back in 1919 during the first world war period. The farm is located in 90 acres (364,217.4 m²), out of the total 139 acre (0.56251354 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.
Bankpur Fort is home for not only for peafowl, but also a number of other birds like wood pecker, great-horned owl, babbler, magpie, robin, green bee eater, nightjar, spotted maina, paradise flycatcher, Indian robin, spotted dove, parakeets, kingfisher, grey hornbill, blue tailed bee eater, blacked winged kite, tailor bird etc.
Demographics
As of 2001 India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Bankapura had a population of 20,264. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bankapura has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.