The Sultan Bateri

watch tower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is t ...

, constructed in 1784 by

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...

is in Boloor, 4 km from the

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka– ...

city, the chief port city in the state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

History

Boloor is known for the watch tower constructed in the era of the emperor

such that now the area surrounding the decaying structure is its namesake. The watch tower was constructed 15 years before his death in 1784 A.D. The place was previously known as Sultan's Battery (see

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fa ...

). Sultan Battery was built of black stones and constructed to obstruct war ships from entering the river which was the major route for

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

invasion but was then retrieved from English by

. It was also used as a fort with mounting places for cannons to avoid Britishers to enter Mangalore by sea. There is an underground storage area under the tower that was used to store

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate ( saltpeter) ...

. As per historians, this underground has secret route which leads to Mysore. Unfortunately, now it is closed and locked by Indian Tourism Authorities. It was the major

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

and

arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

of the ruler. It was a naval station and was of great importance to the sultan as he used it to intercept enemy

warships A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and ...

and prevent them from docking. Tipu Sultan BL

If one climbs to the top of the watch tower by stairs, there is a panoramic view of

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

shows a blend of natural and man-made beauty. It is now nearly deserted with a few shacks and a boating club nearby, but it is gathering popularity among tourists.

Geography

The coastal area of Boloor and the southern adjoining area of Bokkapatna are more apt to be termed

Mangalorean Mangaloreans ( Tulu: ''Kudladaklu''; Kannada: ''Mangaloorinavaruu''; Konkani: ''Kodialkar''; Beary: ''Maikaltanga''; Urdu: ''Kaudalvale'') are a collection of diverse ethnic groups that hail from the historical locales of South Canara (Tulunaa ...

villages, than Mangalorean suburbs, given the general traditional lifestyle most residents of the areas still fish and trade as the primary activities. The streets of Bokkapatna at sunset give the quaint feeling of a dear old village. Boloor overlooks the Gurpura river which snakes further south and joins the

Arabian sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

by interrupting the 8 km long Bengre headland, primary breakwater of the city of

. Boloor, primarily Sultan Battery, is linked to the rest of the city by bus no. 16 that makes trips to and from at intervals of 15–20 minutes. Now, this monument is protected by central government of India and its all responsibility is on Archaeological survey of India Bangalore Circle.

References

History of Mangalore Tourist attractions in Mangalore {{Mangalore-geo-stub