BENGALURU: In every nook and cranny of India, is a village waiting for its story to be told. One such quaint village called Sultanpet is located at the base of the Nandi Hills, a few kilometres away from the famous Bhoga Nandishwara Temple. One of the most interesting tourist spots here is a beautiful mosque built by Tipu Sultan.
In the Gazetteer of Mysore, B L Rice wrote that the village was, for some years, a British military station till the troops were removed in 1808. In 1809, Colonel Welsh wrote, “The Pettah (the present Sultanpet) is extensive. It has very good bazars and is famous for the best potatoes and soft sugar in the peninsula, while the gardens abound in almost every fruit and vegetable of Europe and Asia combined.”
The annual fair took place during the Shivaratri festival every year and used to be attended by 20,000 people. The best bullocks reared in the country were brought there for sale, and as much as `1,000 is said to have been offered for a pair of draught bullocks. A cattle show was held by the government during this season for several years, and prizes were distributed. But in 1874, the show was transferred to Bengaluru. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) website states that a regiment of the British military was stationed from AD 1799 to 1808 between Nandi and Sultanpet.
Today, this prosperous village is a shadow of its former self and the Sultan’s mosque lies in a very dilapidated state. This mosque is a fine example of the Deccan style of Islamic architecture.
It has a small, square apse on the west, topped with a small dome. It has three small bays. The mihrab in the interior is very plain and the mosque surprisingly has small minarets that adorn its corners. These minarets are crowned with the typical guldastas.
The parapet has intricate stucco plaster work on it. The mosque stands on 3.5 acres of land which is under the care of the Karnataka Waqf Board, and they fenced the premises just a few months ago. If not restored, this mosque can collapse anytime. Ideally, the Waqf Board must restore it and can also erect a signage that talks about the significance of this mosque.
In order to generate more revenue, they can even set up an eco-friendly resort on parts of the premises and hire locals to serve as guides on the trail that leads to the top of the Nandi Hill. Here’s hoping that something is done about the mosque at the earliest to prevent another of Tipu Sultan’s monuments from becoming a victim of negligence.Trivia
Sultanpet once had bustling bazaars and was famous for potatoes and sugar
Its annual fair took place during Shivratri and was attended by over 20,000 people Bullocks reared across India were brought here for sale