Sultan Battery is a watchtower a few miles from central Mangalore, on a headland overlooking the city’s scenic backwaters. It was constructed in 1784 by Tipu Sultan from black stones that are said to have been plundered from churches built by the Portuguese. The battery was erected to intercept enemy warships before they entered the river—exactly the route that would prove to be crucial to the success of the English invasion. Visitors can climb to the top of the watchtower for sweeping views of the backwaters and, beyond them, the Arabian Sea.
