Continuing on our journey, we started for Dharmapuri at about 3 30 after getting a smacking lunch at Krushnai lunch home in Ambejogai. We reached the place at about 5.
Dharmapuri is more of a 'Gadhi' than a fort, located about 30 kms from Ambejogai on the road to Ahmadpur. The peculiar feature of the fort is that a lot of temple remenants have been used in the construction. Practically every wall of the fort addorns beautiful carvings from some temple structure. The outer walls are pretty much in good shape and even the doorway is in decent condition but inside hardly any structures remain. On one side you can see the remnants of walls of some rooms and a room with a almost complete roof. Opposite to that on a bastion there is the grave of a 'Pir'. On one of the walls a temple panel showing the fight between Sugreeva and Vali with Ram shooting an arrow at Vali is seen. To the right of this a flight of stairs leads down to the bottom a large ashtakoni(octagonal) well. Just near the water a Kirtimukha can be seen on the wall on the left.
Almost next to the actual well opening there is a large underground chamber,the entrance of which you can easily miss because of the shrubs that have taken over.
After completing our tour of the Gadhi we went on to the nearby temple of Kedareshwar which is very old. three of the outer walls of the temple are adorned with beutiful sculptures of Vishnu in his various avatars, Shiva Parvati etc. A sculpture of Narsimha shown killing Hiranyakashyapu is most striking. A rare sculpture of Bramha can also be seen. Other panels show Sursundaris and Vishkanya. Another notable sculpture is one of the Mrutyudevata. A huge sculpture of the Vyal is seen near the entrance.
Inside, there is a Shivling. The carvings on the inner side aren't as striking as the ones outside.Kirtimukhas adorn a lot of the inner walls.
This temple is in a pretty sorry state and one can find a few panels from one of the destroyed walls near temple.
After seeing the temple we went on to Latur where we planned to stay at my Uncle's place and then go on to Udaigiri at Udgir and Awsa forts on the 14th.
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