RAICHUR: This naturally structured fort with rocks forming a tadpole shape at Watgal in Maski taluk has a historic link. It is believed to have housed people from the third Neolithic to Iron age. With huge rocks surrounding a livable place, this acts as a fort. This structure was mostly used by Vijayanagara Empire when it was ruling Raichur. It is believed that the empire built watchtowers as this place has great visibility of the vicinity.
Venkatesh Patel Watgal, hailing from this place, said, “There are four watchtowers in this fort.”
He said he does not have great knowledge of history to corroborate about the makers of these watchtowers. In 1995, historian, epigraphist and archaeologist, C S Patil and researchers Devaraj and J G Shaffer, studied about this place.
He said these people conducted excavation here and concluded that this was a pre-historic site. The people from the third Neolithic age to Iron age lived in this place. Patel said even today, bones of animals and human beings, earthen pots, bangles and other pre-historic materials can be found here. There are also drawings that date back to 2,000 BC, he added. Shambanna Gowda, a resident of Watgal, said this is a natural fort.