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The moment we think of Bijapur (was renamed as Vijaypura a couple of years ago) what comes to our mind is ‘Gol Gumbaz’ (circular dome) which is a mausoleum that has a dome that is 44 metres (124 feet) in diameter and still ranks among the largest domes in the world. But Bijapur in Karnataka which is a gateway to the famous sites of Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole has many more amazing 16th century indo-Islamic Architectural monuments to boast of !! The Gol Gumbaz with a height of 51 meters (167.4) still towers over the dusty town with a population of over 5 lakhs (0.5 million). Surprisingly in addition to auto rickshaws, tongas still ply in the town. We enjoyed the joy ride in one of the tongas.
Historical perspective
Bijapur now renamed Vijaypura after its old historical name was established in the 10th-11th centuries by the Kalyani Chalukyas who had branched out from the Badami Chalukyas and had established their kingdom at Kalyani, 65 kms from Bidar. They had named the city as Vijaypure (City of victory). The city came under Yadavas after the Kalyani Chalukyas and later came under the influence of the Khilji Sultanate in Delhi by the late 13th century. In 1347, the area was conquered by the Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga. Yusuf Adil Shah who was the Governor of Bijapur under the Bahamani kingdom, after branching out from the Bahamani Sultane established the Adil Shahi dynasty in late 15th century that ruled from Bijapur for nearly 200 years from 1489 to 1686 and then came under the control of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Surprisingly no traces of temples or monuments belonging to the Chalukyas or the Bahamanis can be found in Vijayapura today.
Bijapur under Adil Shahi dynasty:
Under the Adil Shahi kings, Bijapur became a culturally rich kingdom and attracted scholars, musicians, artists, Sufi saints etc from far and wide including Persia, Iraq & Turkey. The Mushaira or Urdu poetry is believed to have flourished here, and later travelled to North India. The Dakkani dialect was an amalgation of 3 to 4 languages and flourished during this period. The Adil Shahi kings were tolerant towards the Hindus and did not interfere in the matters of their religion. They also appointed Hindus to higher designations, especially in the field of administration and accounts which were maintained in the Marathi script. The most famous among the officials of the Adil Shahi dynasty was the father of Shivaji, Shahaji.
The most popular Bijapur Sultan was Mohammed Adil Shah, during his reign the kingdom expanded both in power and magnificence, and his dominions stretched from the Arabian Seato the Bay of Bengal. There was peace & prosperity in his kingdom and he patronised art & literature. He entered into a peace agreement with the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan and maintained good relations with him and was given the title of Shah by him. In the later part of his reign Shahji revolted against the Bijapur kingdom and Mohammed Adil Shah could not check the rise of the Marathas and Shivaji.
It was much later that the kingdoms of Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmednagar got together and jointly attacked the Vijaynagar Empire of Hampi.
The plethora of ancient monuments- mausoleums, mosques and fortifications that dot the landscape of Bijapur stand as a mute witness to the grandeur of the Islamic architecture that flourished during the Adil Shahi period. Gol Gumbaz & Ibrahim Roza which are under the ASI are being maintained well. The same can’t be said about the other monuments.
Monuments of Bijapur (Vijaypura)
Gol Gumbaz: it is the mausoleum of Mohammad Adil Shah. Soon after ascending the throne he decided to build a majestic mausoleum for himself. He hired the architect Yakub from Dabul (now known as Dabhol) and began the construction in 1526. Twenty thousand workers toiled for nearly 30 years before it was completed in 1556. On entering the spacious hall through an imposing gate, the visitor sees the grave of Mohammad Adil Shah along with those of his two wives, a mistress and his son & daughter, all within an enclosure. His grave is on a raised platform covered by a wooden canopy. Light streams through the long windows.
At each end of the four corners of the cube shaped structure there is a dome-capped octagonal tower seven stories high with a steep winding staircase inside. The upper floor of each tower opens on to a round gallery which surrounds the dome and one could comfortably walk around it.
The highlight & marvel of the monument is the ‘whispering gallery’ which runs around the inside top of the dome. Here even the softest sound can be heard on the other side (nearly 44 metres apart) of the mausoleum due to the acoustics of the space !! We went to the monument in the afternoon and engaged a guide Rajkumar He narrated the history of the place. It was very crowded due to which we didn’t really enjoy it. Our guide asked me to come at 6 am next morning to be able to enjoy the special acoustics effect of the gallery and listen to my own echo being repeated several times.
Our hotel was at a walking distance from Gol Gumbaz so I reached the ticket counter at 6 in the morning. To my surprise it was open. The mausoleum is laid out in a very big garden with manicured lawns. After buying the ticket, I started walking towards the mausoleum and was disappointed to see many people streaming in. I was relieved on knowing that they had not come to visit the mausoleum but they were the morning walkers who come every day for taking a morning walk in the garden and they had their monthly pass with them !! As one approaches the mausoleum, the dome disappears from the view – this is because there is a two storied building in between which in those times was the Naqqarkhana (Hall of the trumpeters) but now houses a museum. There were cannons placed outside the museum. I had to walk around the museum from the left to reach the mausoleum. I didn’t quite get the logic behind the placement of this building which was actually preventing the visitor from continuously gazing at & appreciating the grand structure. My guide told me that this was purposely done to protect the monument from the ‘buri nazar’ of the visitors !!
It was a thrilling experience climbing up to the top of the monument at the break of dawn through one of the 7 storey minarets. I was the only person with my guide inside the dome and I had the awesome feeling of being the Sultan for the next one hour as I was the master of all that I surveyed !!! I watched the beautiful sunrise in solitude from the top of one of the largest domes in the world !! I went around the whispering gallery and enjoyed the amazing feeling of listening to the whisper and the echo of my own voice – the dome is an architectural marvel as it does not have a single column and the acoustics are so wonderful & amazing !!
As I looked at the grave of Sultan Mohammad Adil Shah of Bijapur, I was left wondering at the reason that would have prompted the Sultan to construct his own mausoleum of such gigantic flawless proportions !!
I came out of the mausoleum at around 7.15 am and it was only then I found few people entering the mausoleum.
Ibrahim Rauza : Ibrahim Rauza was a revelation. The twin buildings of the mausoleum & mosque built in the Indo- Sarcenic style of architecture are supported by arches. They look stunning from a distance. They are built on a platform close to each other with a ornamental water tank and fountains separating them and enclosed by a well maintained garden on three sides. In order to achieve symmetry, both buildings have been balanced in style in volume, though the tomb is the more splendid conception. It is said that Shahjahan had visited this place and the beautiful Ibrahim Rauza became his inspiration for the Taj Mahal in Agra. These grand structures of the mausoleum and the mosque are rated as on one of the most beautifully proportioned Islamic monuments in India. Tall minar-shaped turrets rise from each corner of the building.
It is the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II. It houses his tomb along with his begum Taj Sultana. Within the arched verandah is a row of pillars, forming a double arcade around the mausoleum chamber. The entire structure is profusely ornamented, especially the outer wall of which every part is covered with ornamental carving. It was built in the 16th century and was designed by a Persian architect Malik Sandal whose grave is also close to the mausoleum. The mosque on the right is not that ornamental though looks majestic.
Bara Kaman: It is the incomplete mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah II with its 12 graceful arches. Bara Kaman was the royal tomb of Ali Adil Shah II whose construction probably begun on his accession to the throne and was intended to rival Gol Gumbaz, the tomb of his father. Though, the building was conceived on a magnificent scale but it was destined never to be completed. It’s geometric pattern still attract a number of visitors.
The Jamia Mosque : Jamia or Jama Masjid was built in the year 1578 by Ali Adil Shah I to commemorate the victory at the battle of Talikota. It is one of the largest mosques in Deccan region and approximately 2400 people can offer prayers at one go. Even though magnificent, the structure is incomplete, as it lacks the two minarets. The Central mihrab (an arched recess in the interior wall of a mosque) on the western wall, is covered with lines from the Holy Quran etched in exquisitely gilded calligraphy.
The walls of Bijapur fort now in ruins dot the skyline of the town.
Uppal Burj is a 80 feet tall fort like structure with cannons on the top. It was used as a Watchtower. Many large cannons used in the battles are placed at various strategic locations including Malik-e-Maidan (King of the battlefield) which was commissioned by Muhammad Adil Shah.
Jod Gumbaz, twin domed tombs, were built in memory of Khan Muhammad and Abdul Razzaq Qadiri. Situated near Mecca Gate, these tombs are also referred to as ‘Two Sisters’. For offering assistance to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb to defeat the young Adil Shahi emperor Sikandar, both Khan Muhammad and Abdul Razzaq Qadiri were considered traitors.
The latest attraction in the city is a 85 feet tall Shiva statue at Shivgiri maintained by a private trust that also runs a school. The premises also has a small Ganesh temple with a beautiful black idol of Ganesh.
The best way to travel to the different monuments is auto rickshaw whom we engaged for the full day.
Vijaypura is also famous for its traditional ethnic cotton sarees with Silk zari borders known as ‘Ilkal Sarees’ named after Ilkal a famous weaving centre about 100 kms from Vijaypura. The speciality of these Sarees is that while the saree is cotton, the pallu is made of silk and it is tied to the saree with a special technique. Our auto rickshaw driver took us to a famous store in the market area where my wife bought 5 sarees for gifting.
Not many people are aware of the historical importance of this town and it doesn’t get many visitors as it is not well connected with the other important cities. Many visitors who come to Badami, Pattadakkal & Aihole also include it in their itinerary. In many ways the town doesn’t seem to have come out of the medieval ages !!
We had booked at Hotel Mayura Adilshahi managed by Karnataka Tourism Department. It is an old colonial bungalow with just 6 rooms. It may have been good place to stay long back but it definitely turned out to be disappointing. The room had dampness, the geyser was not working and the tap was leaking. Within half an hour we moved to another hotel on the Station Road close to Gol Gumbaz- Hotel Heritage International. It had a decent AC room. The Station Road is the main wide road of Bijapur and there are many hotels on this road though you can not expect a very posh hotel in Bijapur. There was a Kamat Restaurant at a distance of 25 metres from our Hotel and we visited it for our dinner & breakfast- the food was good – the typical Udupi taste!!
Our return train to Mumbai was around 6 pm at Bijapur. We got nearly one & half days to spend at Bijapur which I think is more than sufficient. In fact one can cover all the places within a day.
There are two direct weekly trains from Mumbai that take around 14 hours. The trains also go to Badami which is at a distance of 2.5 hours from Vijaypura. There are direct trains from Bangalore & Goa too. The nearest airports are at Belgaum or Hubli, both more than 200 kms away.
Please also visit my Instagram accounts @rameshkabraexplorer for nature pics and @artheritageofindia_rameshkabra for ancient Indian architecture.
You could reach me on e-mail at rameshkabra1956@gmail.com
I am a life member of Nasik Chapter of INTACH.
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