Chaubara , the historical watch tower of Bidar, Karnataka

Navrang India September 20, 2020
Chaubara tower, Bidar, Karnataka, Alamy..com

Clockt ato Chaubara tower, Bidar, Karnataka,

Located on  a plateau at an altitude of 2200 feet from the MSL overlooking the Manjira river valley in the northern part of Karnataka, the town Bidar gained popularity during the rule of  Ahmed Shah Bahman ( 1423-1436)  of Bahamani dynasty in 1429. Bidar is a famous tourist spot and thousands of visitors come here to visit the historical sites in and around this old  town 

Bidar dist. Karnataka. mapsofindia.com 

There lies in the busy part of Bidar town  a fine  majestic monument - a watch tower, 71 foot tall structure with  conical top and cylindrical bottom (circumference is 180 feet). A well preserved historical monument, from atop the tower, one can have a panoramic view of the vast expanse of an uneven plateau  The spot was  suitable for watch tower in the old times  to watch the enemy movements at far-off places. In  the past between 15th and  17th centuries  many wars broke out between neighboring kingdoms and also from other kingdoms in the north. The top of the tower can be accessed through the spiral stairway with 80 steps  built inside.  The tower that is entirely made of laterite stone (compacted and agglomerated small pebbles, grains, etc that are well cemented by iron leaching; it is a soil and rock type rich in iron and aluminum and is commonly found in hot and wet tropical areas. Laterites have rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content due to  intensive and

Laterite stones dreamstime.com

prolonged weathering of the underlying parent rock; it is part of chemical weathering) is at the  intersection of two main streets of Bidar; one  connecting  the fort to Fateh Darwaza, and the other connecting  Mangalpet to Shah Gunj Darwaza. At Bidar the tower is further strengthened by black-trap masonry and circular bands; the outer walls are thick all around built with lime-sand mortar.

Today, it serves as a clock tower. and the clock is at the top. The word ' Chaubara  (Chau and Bara which signify four directions and a fortified place) .means a  structure  facing  four directions. Believed to have been built during the pre-Islamic time, the structure has elements Islamic architecture. The lower part has 16 foot tall base with many small  arched enclosures  and the rectangular openings on the tower  were provided to allow enough light and air. circulation inside. 

 Chaubara is  different from  the grand mosque at Samarra, Unlike the former, in the latter the stairway to the top is built outside similar to  Upli Burj, the tower at Bijapur that  has the stairway  on the outside. Chaubara tower is about 2 km from the railway station.

ttps://karnatakatravel.blogspot.com/2015/05/choubara-tower-of-bidar.html

https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/bidar/chaubara-tower.html