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Steps to the King's audiance hall
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The elevated platform located in the northwest corner in the royal enclosure is the audience hall used by the Kings. Sometimes this is referred as the Durbar Hall. The super structure is not present. But at the rear of the hall, a stone stairway suggests it was a two-storied structure. On the platform are the sockets for the 100 wooden pillars once supported the superstructure. They are located in a symmetric array of 10x10. Owing to this at times people used to call this the 100-pillared hall.
It’s believed that this is the place where the king listened to the public of their grievances. The long tough just outside this area was used as the trough for holding drinking water for the horses of the noblemen who came to attend the court.
The superstructure of the hall had been guttered during the invasion. Archeologists unearthed traces of wood ash from the socket holes. This confirms the theory that superstructures in this area were made of wood and it went with flames during the arson.
This is one of the two tall structures (the other being Mahanavami Dibba) in this locality from where on can do a survey of the place. You may climb the stairs to get a balcony view, especially the Mint area located just beyond the western enclosure wall. Watch the very first step of the stair closely. It’s a bit wider and is carved with a shallow trough like depression. Possibly this was used to hold holy water to wash ones foot before climbing up.
You can use the opening near the King’s Audience Hall on the fortified wall to exit from the Royal enclosure.
