Bankapura

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 NH-4, 22 km from Haveri town. Bankapura is about 45 km from Hubli-Dharwad. An historical site, Bankapura is famous for the Nagareshwara temple, Bankapura fort, The Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary. Baada, the birthplace of Kanakadasa is near to Bankapura.

==History== thumb|left|Old Kannada inscription (late 11th - early 12th century) at Nagaresvara Temple in Bankapura, [[Karnataka]] Under the Chalukyas, many temples were built here, but during an invasion by Ali Adil Shah I, the Turko-Persian Sultan of Bijapur in about 1565 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 mosque in the fort. The place is of historical significance to Jains. Adipuran, a Jain religious text was composed here. Bankapura fort (454 CE), was ruled by Kadamba of Banavasi, Gangas, Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Emperors of Vijayanagara, Turko-Persian Adilshahis of Bijapur, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. During the 9th century, Bankapura was in the honour of Bankeyarasa (in 898 CE) who was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta Emperor Amoghavarsha I. In the 11th century the Kadambas took over, followed by the Hoysalas ruler Vishnuvardhana. Invasion by the Bahamnis In the 16th century, the Turko-Persian Bahmanis invaded Bankapura and Mustapha Khan of Bijapur annexed the fortress after a pitched battle for more than a year. The Nawabs of Savanur and the Marathas ruled for a short duration before Hyder Ali and Tipu took possession. Later, Bankapura was ceded to the British. Inscriptions