roads would perhaps be the usual route adopted by travellers, which
leads through open undulating plains. Avoiding this route, the Sultan
may have turned the Sandur hills by a flank movement to his right,
and approached either along the valley of Sandur or along the valley
which now carries the main road from Bellary to Vijayanagar, between
the Sandur hills and the hills that surround the latter city.

"Kishen Roy was astonished at his boldness, and sent myriads of his
people to defend the streets. The sultan drove them before him and
gained the bank of a piece of water which alone now divided him from
the citadel, in which Kishen Roy resided. Near this was an eminence,
upon which stood a temple covered with plates of gold and silver set
with jewels, much venerated by the Hindoos, and called in the language
of the country Puttuk. The sultan, esteeming the destruction of it
as a religious obligation, ascended the hill, and having razed the
temple, possessed himself of the precious metals and jewels."

The piece of water alluded to may have been the picturesque lake at
Kamalapuram; but which was the temple that Mujahid destroyed? It seems
useless to speculate, considering that the historian only wrote from
tradition after a lapse of two centuries. There are many temples on
hills to choose from, and several pieces of water. But the strangest
part of the story is that we are not told how the Sultan succeeded
in penetrating the outer lines of works, and in reaching a spot which
divided him only from the inner citadel or palace enclosure. It must,
however, be remembered that though in A.D. 1443 Abdur Razzak saw
seven lines of walls, we are not certain how many there were in the
days of Bukka Raya.

At this point Mujahid was attacked and nearly lost his life.