Bijapur

When I was kid, I used to participate in a lot of quiz competitions. I used to go about reading a lot of magazines, news papers, and several of those printed GK books. My favorite chapter in these books was ‘Highest, Tallest, Biggest, Largest, Deepest’. This chapter would give details of all the living and non-living, man-made and natural entities that would fall into these categories and would give information about them as well. I had read – the worlds 2nd largest dome was ‘Gol Gumbaz’ and it was in Bijapur.

I had pondered about Bijapur a lot and had also read and lot about its places history, I was impressed, and I decided that I have to go and see Gol Gulbaz. I made the trip to Bijapur in Nov 2001.

Bijapur is not linked by rail directly, Gulbarga and Sholapur are the closest Railway stations. It takes about 4 hrs to reach Bijapur by bus from any of these 2 places. Since, we were in Chennai, we took the Chennai Mumbai mail. This train stops at Gulbarga as well as Sholapur. The train left Chennai central at 10 pm and reaches Gulbarga at about 2 pm the next day. Our co-passengers in the train told that it is better to get off at Gulbarga at 2 pm and reach Bijapur in 4 hrs, rather than get off at Sholapur at 6 pm, and take another 4 hrs to reach Bijapur. Gulbarga seemed the right place to get off.

There are several buses to Bijapur from Gulbarga, and as expected, we reached in 4 hrs. The terrain of North Karnataka is so different from the green Southern parts. It is dry here, and as the bus moves on the highway, you will see dry barren land without even a blade of grass. Never the less, the scenery is stunning.

Bijapur is a small dusty town. I had a print out of budget hotels, that I had taken from Traveljini. I did not have a booking, as I wanted to see the hotel before checking in. The first hotel that we went to, Madhuvan, was simple and nice. There was nothing lavish about it. It had simple rooms with basic amenities and charges a nominal INR 300 per day. This place also had a attached restaurant, and guess what, from the hotel room, we could see Gol Gumbaz. The receptionist was very helpful, she told us about all the places that are worth seeing in Bijapur. We took rest that evening, and we were prepared to explore every nook and corner of Bijapur the next day.

Bijapur is a historic fort city. You will know this only once you get there. When you get on top of the Gol Gumbaz, and when you look around, you will see a high fort wall, that was constructed all around the city with 4 watch towers. The fort walls are in ruins right now, but in many places it is intact. 3 of the watch towers are fine, and you can get in flash back mode and imagine what the place would have been like in its hey days during the time of Adil Shah.

Inside this walled city – is Gol Gumbaz, Juma Masjid, Barah Cumman, Ibrahim Rouza, Sher – e – Burj and several palaces. Most of the palaces are in a dilapidated condition, but, some palaces are well preserved. It is called Agra of the South – there is reason for this, and I will explain it later. Your visit to every monument will reveal yet another secret of this city's illustrious past. After all, Bijapur was not built in a day.

One can’t appreciate the beauty of the place, if you do not know about its history. The foundations of this city were laid during the Chalukyan dynasty of Kalyani between the tenth and eleventh centuries. They called it Vijayapura or the "City of Victory" from which comes its present name Bijapur. Bijapur came under Muslim influence, first under Allaudin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, towards the end of the 13th century, and then under the Bahamani kings of Bidar in 1347. In 1481, Mohammed III, one of the Bahamani Sultans, appointed Yusuf Adil Khan as the Governor of Bijapur.

Now about Yusuf Adil Shah – his is a story of rags to riches. He was a slave who became a Sultan. He was one of the sons of Sultan Mahmud II of Turkey. Adil Khan fled his country on the death of his father, to escape the massacre of crown prince in the battle for succession to the throne. He was purchased as a slave by Mahmud Gavan, the Prime Minister of Mohammed III.
With the decline of the Bahamani power at Bidar, Yusuf declared his independence in 1489 and thus became the founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Bijapur became the capital of the Adil Shahi kings (1489-1686), one of the five splinter states formed when the Bahmani Muslim kingdom broke up in 1482. Bijapur survived as a kingdom till its annexation by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686.

Bijapur experienced a great burst of architectural activity under the Adil Shahi dynasty. The Adil Shahis encouraged building activity to such an extent that Bijapur itself has over 50 mosques, more than 20 tombs and a number of palaces. An interesting feature was the employment of large numbers of Indian craftsmen . Earlier Muslim rulers of the Deccan deployed Persian craftsmen and architects.

Bijapur is still strongly Muslim in character and it has many important monuments and historical ruins.

Bijapur's greatest attractions are architectural, especially Islamic architecture. Minarets, domes and echoing burial chambers all conjure up images of the Arabian Nights. Here are a few of the many monuments, you may want to visit , at the least.

Bijapur's greatest attractions are architectural, especially Islamic architecture. Minarets, domes and echoing burial chambers all conjure up images of the Arabian Nights. Here are a few of the many monuments, you may want to visit , at the least.

Gol Gumbaz – Gol Gumbaz was the first place we went to. The mercury was rising, and I had enough stock of sun tan cream to fight it. Literary meaning, 'round', it is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (1627 -56) , the seventh ruler of Adil Shahi dynasty.

Built at his orders before his death, this gigantic mausoleum took 20 years to complete , which dominates the landscape of Bijapur for miles around. It is the 2nd largest done in the world, and stands unsupported by any pillar. Even the mildest of whispers can be heard across a distance of 37 m in the Whispering Gallery. The acoustical phenomenon of this dome is such that a sound is echoed eleven times over. You have to listen in silence to appreciate the Gol Gumbaz. Under the dome are the tombs of the Sultan, his two wives, his mistress Ramba, his daughter and grandson.

There are steps to go up the Gumbaz. Off the 4 minarets, 3 are closed. People interested can use the one that is open to get to the top. From the top, you can get the most beautiful view of Bijapur city, and you can also see the Citadel walls, with the watch towers are regular distances.

The building complex includes a mosque, a Naqqar Khana, a gateway and a dharmashala. The edifice in front of the tomb has been converted into a museum.

Archeological Museum - The Archaeological Museum located in the gatehouse of the Gol Gumbaz has a vast collection of Chinese porcelain, parchments, paintings, armoury, miniatures, stone sculptures and old Bijapur carpets are all housed here. The museum is open on all days from 10 am to 5 pm, except Fridays. Entrance is free.

Ibrahim Rouza - Rauza literally means a tomb with an attached mosque and garden. The square enclosure consists of 2 buildings, one housing the tombs of Ibrahim Adil Shah II & his family & the other a mosque.

The tomb, evidently executed under the orders of Ibrahim Adil Shah (1580-1627) is noted for its striking symmetry of proportion, minars and domes. It is supposed to have been an inspiration for the Taj Mahal at Agra. Yes, the Ibrahim Rouza is like two Taj Mahals and a garden and waterway in the middle. It is supposed to have been designed by a Iranian architect. The complex contains mosque, water ways with lake, basement quarters and secret passages. The gardens are well laid out. The architect is supposed to be buried close to the sultan.

An acoustic feature in this complex is worth mentioning. If you are standing at the mausoleum by the grave side of the Sultan, you can distinctly hear the prayers being said at the other end, in the prayer hall.

Burj-E-Sherz - Home to the famous 8.5 m-long Malik-e-Maidan cannon (Lord of the Battle field). It was used in the battle of Talikot, when the Vijayanagar Empire fell. It is one of the largest medieval guns ever made.

The muzzle is a lion's head with open jaws with an elephant being crushed to death inside. The weapon is said to keep a cool head even in the blazing heat of the sun. When tapped it gives out a soft humming sound. Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true!

Bara Kaman - This unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah, if completed, might have surpassed all others of its kind. Its 12 graceful arches which give it the name Bara Kamaan, makes one feel the power of time & death. These arches are amidst a public garden.

Juma Masjid - Called Jumma Masjid because the Khutba is recited here on Jumma ie. Friday, it is the largest & first constructed mosque in Bijapur. It was built in 1576, the largest mosque in India, by Ali Adil Shah, who acquired the land after defeating the rich Ramaraja of Vijayanagar.

The total area of the mosque is 10,810 sq m. Aurangzeb extended the mosque in the east, the south & the north verandah & built the eastern gate. The original gateway is on the northern side. The heavy curtain hangs over the "Mehrab", which has domes which are onion shaped, minarets, niches with books, flower vases & Persian writings in calligraphy ( Koranic Verses ) inscribed on it.

The other places that can be visited at Bijapur are Mahtar Mahal, Taj Bawdi, Assar Mahal, Gagan Mahal and the Citadel. I decided to spend just 1 day in Bijapur and the auto driver told us that there was no point visiting the mahals are they are in a very dilapidated stage. We did not visit them.

Bijapur is a great place for all those who read up the history books before going to a historic city. Simply landing up there is no fun at all. I had read about Adil Shah in the history books in school, but there was just one small paragraph about him. The Mughal era takes away the majority of space in Indian History books. The Archeological museum has a lot of stuff that Adil Shah used, his clothes, battle outfit, swords, daggers etc. This stuff is soo huge, I am sure Adil Shah must have been a tall and well built man. His sword is so big, if we were to even lift it today, 4 well built men would be required.

Apart from these palaces and mosques, there is nothing much. The town is small and the life here is laid back. There are lots of road side vendors who sell ceramic ware. If you are the type of person who loves to bargain and buy stuff, this is the place. I bought lots of ethnic porcelain my house.

All the monuments here are protected monuments, but they are not maintained neatly. There is gobar and goat shit all over the place. Apart from the mosques that are in use even today, most of the palaces are full of miscreants, just hanging out there. And, there are not many tourists who come here. None of the Indians have the inclination to go to a town like Bijapur. And the foreigners don’t think beyond Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Manali and Goa. So, unless the Karnataka Tourism Department does something to promote Bijapur, the monuments will not get better attention and care.

But, none the less, if you love to backpack, read up a history book, and wish to go in search of something, like in my case, I wanted to see the Gol Gumbaz, I suggest the next time around you get 3 days off, just go to Bijapur. You will realize, why India is rich in history, culture and diversity.

Getting There :

By Air : The nearest airport is Belgaum(205 kms), which is well connected to Mumbai and Bangalore.

By Rail : Bijapur is well connected to Bangalore, Mumbai (via Solapur) ; Hyderabad (via Solapur or Hotgi Jn); Hospet (via Gadag) ; Vasco da Gama (via Hubli and Londa).

By Road : Bijapur is well connected to many cities in south and west india, notably.
Sholapur ( 101 Kms ), Gulbarga ( about 120 kms ), Belgaum ( 205 kms ), Hyderbad ( 420 kms ), Mumbai ( 500 kms ) & Bangalore ( 530 kms )

Local Transport : Autos, Taxis

Trip duration : 3 days

Best time : North Karnataka is usually hot throughout the year. The best time is between Oct and Feb.

Where to stay :

Hotel Madhuvan - 08352- 55571, Hotel Samrat - 08352- 21620, Hotel Tourist - 08352- 20655. Megharaj - 08352- 25571, Rajadhani - 08352- 2334468, Sasnman - 08352- 21866. All of these are on Station Road.

Hotel Sagar - 08352- 59234. Barah Kaman Road

KSTDC's Hotel Mayura Adil Shahi – Anand Mahal Road

Note : The details pertaining to History and the monuments that I mentioned in this travelogue are from history books and websites that I have read. They are mostly accurate.