Friday, September 23, 2011

Bekal Fort in Kasargode – September 2011

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BLF_011__DSC0234_www.keralapix.comBekal in Kasargod district located about 10 kilometers from Kanhangad town on the Kochi-Mangalore National Highway No. 17, is well-known for its ancient and historic laterite-brick fort. Originally built by the Kadamba dynasty in 5 c. A.D., it passed through the custody of several dynasties, in succeeding centuries, until it fell into the hands of the British. Bekal fort was a prominent military station of Tipu Sultan when he led the great military expedition to capture Malabar. The promontory on which it is situated runs into the sea. Perched on a rocky headland, the fort commands an extraordinary beautiful view. The archaeological importance of the fort and the breathtaking beauty of the adjacent beach mark Bakel as an ideal international tourist destination. Tourism activities have been taking place in the areas inclosing the fort, under the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC), which is an enterprise of the Kerala State Government. Several Hindi & South Indian language movies have shot here. The hit song 'Uyire' in the movie 'Bombay' (Tamil) directed by Mani Ratnam is one among them.
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When I first visited and took photographs of this way back in 1998, the fort was in its original form. Today, a lot of renovation has done here ruining the original semblance of this archaic fort. For instance, they have installed the watchtowers with metal railings that do not suit this ancient bulwark.  
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These are Ektachrome transparencies of Bekel I captured in 1998 with my old Pentax SLR.

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