KASARGOD: A portion of the Observation Post of the historic Bekal Fort -- which stood the test of time -- crumbled following heavy rain in the past three days, on Sunday night, said officials.
The massive wall of the bastion built using laterite stones appeared as if a portion has been sliced off, said District Tourism Promotion Council district coordinator Biju R, who visited the fort on Monday morning.
However, the entry of tourists is not stopped.
“We have restricted the entry of tourists only to that particular bastion,” said K P Mohandas, deputy superintendent archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the 17th-century fort.
Monday being a holiday, the Fort is milling with tourists.
There were 15 observation posts in the fort but one of them facing the sea was damaged long ago, said an ASI official manning the fort.
The bastion that was damaged on Sunday night was the second among the 14 observation posts dotting the solid wall of the fort, he said.
Biju said the damage could not be seen by the tourists as that side of the fort was not easily accessible to the public.
Bekal Fort, spread over 40 acres, is the biggest fort in Kerala and the biggest tourist attraction in Kasaragod district.
Bekal Fort was built by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi in 1650 AD. Almost one-third of the fort faces the sea.
Later, Tipu Sultan of Mysore bolstered the fort. The ASI would assess the damage once the rain stops and immediately begin the restoration work, said Mohandas.