It has a small gate towards the open sea for escape. The fort has 19 rounded bastions which are still intact. There are many canons of native and European make rusting on the bastions. Now in ruins, the fort in its heyday had all necessary facilities, e.g., palaces, quarters for officers, mosque, a big fresh water tank, etc. On the outer wall of the main gate, there is a sculpture that depicts a tiger clasping elephants in its claws. This sculpture is difficult to interpret and appears on many fort-gates in Maharashtra.
Bekal fort is near the Pallikkara village in the Kasargod district and is one of the best preserved in the southern state. The fort spreading over forty acres, has massive walls about 12 meters in height and is built of local laterite stones. It is a large fort, the wall and ramparts on the sea side being strong and interspersed by the bastions with openings for guns. The main gate is towards the east and was protected by bastions. A ditch surrounds the fort on the land side. The important features of this fort are the tank with its flight of steps, the opening of the tunnel towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition, and a wide ramp leading to the observation tower.
This tower provides a fascinating view of the surrounding area. From there one has ample view of all the important places in the vicinity and also has the strategic significance in ascertaining the safety of the fort. The voids in the massive laterite walls were used for placing guns.
