Sultan Battery

Sultan Battery is situated in Boloor, 6kms away from Mangalore City Bus Stand. It was built in black stones by Tippu Sultan to prevent warships from entering Gurpur River. It is now a deserted spot, but its an exquisite construction. Although it is a watch tower, it gives the impression of a miniature fortress, with its arrangements for mounting canons all around.
15 years before his death in 1784A.D, Tippu Sultan built the present Sultan Battery, which was known as Sultan’s Battery (English word ‘Battery’) in those days. Firing of canons was known as ‘battery’ (English word battery, again) then.
The English had easy access to Mangalore through the route of Gurpur River. The archuary in those days created a sand beach, a situation which promoted the ships to enter. Ships of the East India Company, with the soldiers, had an easy point to enter Tippu’s Domain. In order to control that, for military defense purposes, the Sultan Battery was constructed.
There is an underground chamber found at Sultan Battery, which was constructed to store gun powder, since storing gun powder required a dry place. According to archival records, there was a grinding stone too, which was used to grind and prepare the gun powder. But the grinding stone is not found now.
Over a period of time Sultan’s Battery became Sultan Battery for the localites and has continued to be so, in the process losing the very purpose it denoted in its name. There is also a myth that the underground chamber has a route that leads to SriRangapattana, Tippu Sultan’s capital city.
If one climbs the stairs of the watch tower (miniature fortress), one will get a spectacular view of the Arabian Sea, which will make one spellbound! One will also get to enjoy the cool breeze blowing alongside the Arabian Sea. Thus, Sultan Battery, along with being an architectural marvel, enables one to enjoy the beauty and magnificence of nature, which makes it quiet unique and attractive in its own way.

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