Devanahalli Fort has just one attendant to ward of hundreds of encroachers; police turn blind eye while municipal officials goad on illegal construction activities.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) surely knows how to treat a 500-year-old fort, or whatever remains of it. And the Karnataka government knows how to make things worse.
The Devanahalli Fort, situated at 35 km from the city, is craving for immediate attention of ASI authorities who are more than content with appointing a monument attendant to look after the citadel that was built in 1501. Yes, one man to guard a fort.
The fort, built by Mallabairegowda in 1501 and then re-built with stones by Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, is spread over an area of 20 acres. The very expanse makes it vulnerable, and the results are there to be seen.
The main threat to the fort today comes from local people who have occupied tracts of the fort area and constructed houses. Many have even extended existing ones.
The monument attendant of Devanahalli Fort, KV Gopal, can do little to mitigate the onslaught. “I have lodged complaints with the local police against more than 200 people for encroaching the fort land. But no effort has been made to evict the encroachers.’’
The non-cooperation of the police and the greed of municipal authorities have emboldened encroachers, who now live and rule there with impunity. Yet, some uncertainty lurks. “Many people will lose their dwellings if ASI takes measures to clear the encroachments as per the ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment & Validation) Act, 2010,’’ says KV Kannan, a resident.
Confirming the encroachment of fort land, K Chandrakanth, senior conservation assistant, ASI, blames municipal authorities for giving permission to the people to construct houses on the fort land. “We are disappointed with their non-cooperation. We have decided to take the issue with the deputy commissioner,’’ says Chandrakanth.
Gopal was the only attendant till three months back. ASI has since employed another temporary worker to help with maintaining the monument.
Encroachment is not the only issue that Gopal and his colleague have to deal with. The fort does not have power supply either.
Reaching the fort wall is an arduous task. Empty liquor bottles, crumbling bricks and gaping holes, probably dug by bandicoots, are its salient features.
The roughly oval east-oriented fortification veneered with dressed masonry has as many as 12 semi-circular bastions at regular intervals. A spacious battlement is provided towards the inner side of the fortification. The fort has an entrance decorated with cut plaster work. But that’s on paper. Everything is slowly falling apart.
Residents of the area feel ASI has not done anything to protect the fort besides appointing a watchman and fencing a portion of the fort premises.
“They took up repair work only last year. There is nothing to revel about the fort which is in dilapidated condition,’’ laments P Venkatesh, a printing press owner.
Chandrakanth, however, allays fears. According to him, `8 lakh were spent on restoring a portion of the southern side of the fort wall last year. “Restoration is a continuous process. We are yet to prepare an action plan for this year. We will send estimation to higher authorities shortly,’’ he promises.
Now, if only promises are kept.
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