Minaret of protected tomb crumbles

A right-side minaret of the mosque adjacent to Ain-ul-Mulk’s Tomb, a centrally protected monument in Vijayapura, has crumbled. Other minarets and the decorative parapet of the mosque are also in a state of dilapidation and may collapse anytime.

Located on a sprawling 40-acre land at Ainapur tanda on Sindagi Road, Ain-ul-Mulk’s Tomb and the mosque adjacent to it are heritage sites of national importance maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Though these are important structures from the medieval period, the ASI has not cared to maintain them properly.

The tomb, with a gracefully shaped dome, is the burial place of Ain-ul-Mulk, one of the officers of Ibrahim Adil Shah I, who rebelled against the king and was killed near the city in 1556. The king ordered the construction of a tomb and mosque for the rebel officer as he was once his most trusted servant.

Watching this giant tomb and the elegantly shaped mosque is a scene to behold. On the walls of the mosque and the tomb inside is some delightful stucco work in the shape of great pendants. The ASI undertook some conservation work at the site in 2008, but appears to have forgotten it ever since.

As a result, the plaster on the dome and the outer wall of the tomb has been peeling off. Delicately sculpted minarets and the parapet are in a precarious condition and may crumble anytime. Bushes have grown at several places on the dome as well as on the mosque. Water seeps through the walls during the rains, and the dome has developed cracks. There are reports of miscreants digging the ground under the southern minaret to hunt for treasure. ASI officials, instead of going to police, hushed up the matter by covering the pit.

“Not only Ain-ul-Mulk’s Tomb, there are several other centrally protected monuments in Vijayapura which are in a pathetic condition. The ASI has washed its hands of by deputing an attendant to some of the monuments. Is this the way of protecting and conserving the monuments of national importance? Several monuments are getting decayed and disintegrated because rainwater seep through their walls as a result of poor upkeep. The ASI should act with urgency to protect these sites,” said senior heritage activist Tulashiram Suryavanshi.