Bekal – A seafront fort in Kerala
Bekal fort is located in Kasargod district of Kerala. The fort does not have any palace, as it was not meant for setting up the administration center. It was primarily built to offer security to the region. The fort has a magazine for ammunition, a water tank with a flight of stairs, an observatory tower and a south-opening tunnel. It is beautiful to watch the sun setting from the observatory tower.
Situated in Kasargod district of Kerala, Bekal Fort is the largest fort in the state that spreads over an area of 40 acres. For centuries, this fort has generated the interest in the minds of travelers, historians and natural lovers. The important attractions in the fort are water tank, a south-opening tunnel, an old magazine, and an observatory tower. The fort is also a witness to the religious harmony that was prevalent in the past. The fort was built to meet the defense requirements of the region, and hence one can find the related landmarks there. Uniqueness of the Fort
In contrast to the other forts in India, the Bekal fort had never been a centre of administration. Hence, one cannot find the palaces anywhere on its premises. There is a Hanuman temple and a mosque in the vicinity of the fort, which is a unique feature in itself. This feature stands as a testimony to the age-old religious harmony prevalent in the region. Fort Design
The fort was probably built to fulfill the defense requirements of the region. Hence this fort has a zigzag entrance and a trench encircling it. One can find a number of holes in the outer walls of the fort, which tells about its remarkably planned construction. The holes found at the top of the outer walls are primarily meant for aiming at the farthest point in the sea. On the other hand, the holes found at the bottom of the walls are meant for assaulting the enemy from close range, more correctly when they are nearer to the fort. There is another set of holes that are found between the top-level and bottom-level holes.
These holes are primarily meant for attacking the approaching army. The layout of holes In the outer walls of the fort talks clearly about the kind of technology that was used to build it. Since the fort was built to defend the region, there are magazines in its premises to store the ammunition. Like any other fort that was built for defense requirements, it has an observatory tower to watch the movements of ships in the sea. In order to reach the observatory tower, one has to use a flight of broad steps. In the past, the soldiers used these steps to reach the observatory tower to watch the enemy movement. Attractions at Bekal Fort
The fort complex has a water tank with a flight of steps. This water tank used to supply water to the soldiers manning the fort. There is a tunnel opening towards the south from the fort. This tunnel might have been used by the soldiers to transport the required materials for the fort, without being watched by the enemies. From the observatory tower, one can have a majestic view of the nearby places like Kanhangad, Pallikara, Kottikulam, Uduma, etc. About the three-fourth of the fort's exterior is drenched in the sea and the waves are hitting its citadel. This structure offers an opportunity for the visitor to enjoy the wilderness and ecstatic beauty of the setting sun from its premises.
Bekal fort is found in the Kasargod district of Kerala. It is a seafront fort with the three-forth of its exterior drenched in the sea. The fort has attraction such as water tank with a flight of steps, south-opening tunnel, magazines to store the ammunition, and an observatory tower to watch the sea-sailing objects. Since the fort is closer to the sea, the watching of sunset from the observatory tower is a unique experience in itself. From there, one can enjoy the nice and cool sea breeze and brood over the rich past of the fort.
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