Chaubara

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Chaubara, spelled Choubara, is a historic watchtower in Bidar, Karnataka. It is a state protected monument dating back to the Bahmani period and was probably built by Ahmad Shah along with other city fortifications. The cylindrical tower, made of black trap masonry with lime, rises about 71 feet (22 m) and offers wide views of the surrounding plateau and lowlands. At the base is a circular platform about 180 feet (55 m) in perimeter and 16.75 feet (5.11 m) high, with arched niches around it that may have housed guards or offered shelter. An eastern entrance leads to a lower level, from which a northern door opens to a winding 80-step staircase to the top. The tower has four rectangular openings for light and air, and a parapet about 3.5 feet (1.1 m) high crowns the summit. It stands at Bidar's crossroads, where two main streets meet. In the British era a police station was built next to it on the north side, but it was removed following archaeological advice.