Sultan Battery was built of black stones and constructed to obstruct war ships from entering the river which was the major route for English invasion but was then retrieved from English by Tipu Sultan. If one climbs to the top of the watch tower by stairs, there is a panoramic view of Arabian Sea 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.
It was also used as a fort with mounting places for cannons to avoid Britishers to enter Mangalore by sea. Boloor is known for the watch tower constructed in the era of the emperor Tipu Sultan 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.
There is an underground storage area under the tower that was used to store gunpowder. As per historians, this underground has secret route which leads to Mysore. Now it is closed and locked by Indian Tourism Authorities.It was the major dockyard and arsenal of the ruler. It was a naval station and was of great importance to the sultan as he used it to intercept enemy warships and prevent them from docking.
Copyrights of all images: Vishwanath Pai M.