The City is well-known for historical attractions, mainly related to Islamic architecture.
Even though, a majority of national monuments maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is well protected, sites and monuments managed by the State Department of Archaeology and Museums are under severe threat of encroachment.
The Narasimha Temple, Taj Bawadi, Shikander Shah Tomb and Khedda Masjid have already been encroached upon. Now, land grabbers are eyeing monuments like Bhuvi Masjid, Kishore Khan Tomb, Kamarki Gumbaz and Farooq Mahal, which are situated in the City’s prime areas.
Indifferent attitude
The rise in incidents of encroachment of Archeological sites is more worrisome in the light of the indifferent attitude of the officials towards the State’s cultural wealth.
The landgrab involving sites of historical significance for commercial purposes is snowballing into a controversy, but sadly by the time district administration wakes up, many of the monuments would have vanished forever.
The Deputy Director of Department of Archaeology and Museums, Dharwad Division, under whose jurisdiction the Bijapur monuments fall, has not visited the district in three years.
The land surrounding the monuments is worth crores of rupees. In a few cases, large commercial complexes housing 50 to 60 shops have come up on the encroached land which is State property.
‘Initiate stringent action’
“The lackadaisical attitude of the officials cannot be tolerated. It is high time the State government took stringent action against encroachers,” said Dr H G Daddi, a well known medical practitioner, who has been fighting for protection of heritage monuments for the past three decades.
Several activists expressed their ire towards BJP leader and sitting MLA Appasaheb Pattanshetty, who had promised that he would work towards the protection of historical monuments in the City.
"Pattanshetty did not even undertake a survey of the monuments, let alone protect them,” said Chandrakanth Hiremath,” said a political leader.