Bijapur now known officially as Vijayapura (Kannada: ವಿಜಯಪುರ), is a city in Karnataka. It was once the capital of the Bijapur Sultanate, ruled by the Adil Shahi dynasty. Tombs, palaces, mosques and a portion of the fortified citadel still stand; this includes the Gol Gumbaz. The Gol Gumbaz houses the second largest dome in the world.
Understand
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After the fall of the Bahamni Sultanate in 1490, Bujapur came under the control of Adil Shahi dynasty. From 1490 to 1686 Bijapur served as their capital. For almost two centuries, Bijapur was converted into a fortified citadel surrounded with towering walls complete with massive bastions. The Adil Shahi sultans came up with magnificent palaces, tombs and mosques, turning the city into a medieval wonder. The Gol Gambuz is the most well-known monument of Bijapur and houses the second-largest dome in the world. Bijapur has a share of medieval heritage and attracts heritage and history lovers. Sadly, the town lacks proper tourist infrastructure.
Get in
[edit]Bijapur is well connected to the rest of the country by rail and road. The airport is yet to start operations.
By air
[edit]- 1 Jagatjyoti Shri Basaveshwar Airport. The Bijapur airport is under construction and likely to open at the end of 2025.
By train
[edit]- 2 Bijapur railway station. The railway station (Station Code : BJP) is linked with Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and other major cities. There are four trains per day from Badami to Bijapur, the journey takes two and a half hours.
By bus
[edit]- 3 KSRTC Bus Stand. Bijapur is also well connected with other cities by bus. There are five buses from Badami to Bijapur per day. The journey lasts four hours. 530 km northwest of Bangalore and about 550 km from Mumbai. From Mumbai, there are direct bus services to Bijapur (but very few). The most convenient option is to take a bus to Belgaum (there are more than 25-30 buses). From Belgaum Central bus stand, there are regular express buses (every 15-20 minutes) to Bijapur. The journey takes 3 hours or so.
Get around
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Bijapur is a small town and most of the tourist spots are located close by. Most of them can be covered on a combination of foot and auto rickshaw. Mahatma Gandhi Square (chowk) is the main place and it is situated in the heart of the city. It is the main market place for the locals and also for the people from towns nearby.
Auto Rickshaw
[edit]There are a lot of rickshaws in town. Their drivers know all the major attractions of the town. Since no rickshaw has a meter, you need to negotiate their prices very hard.
Tonga (Horse carriage)
[edit]A very quaint way to get around, especially for tourists, is by tonga or horse buggy as it's called. There is a horse buggy stand at MG Square. Alternatively, outside Gol Gumbaz, there are many horse buggies waiting for business. Negotiate a round figure for the whole day and the tonga will take you to all the important places. A small tip at the end (in the name of the horse - tell the driver to buy something special for the horse) will get you a friend for life. Note: These rides are not animal-friendly
See
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- 1 Gol Gumbaz (Gol Gummat), Entrance on Station Road. 06:00 - 18:00. It is The second largest dome and largest unsupported dome in the world. It is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah and his family. It was built in 1659. At the top, the whispering gallery is a wonder where a tick of watch can be heard from opposite side of the dome over 200 feet away. Entrance ₹15 for Indians and ₹100 for foreigners.
- 2 Gol Gumbaz Mosque, Entrance on Station Road. The mosque is located inside the Gol Gumbaz complex and is located in the middle of the western wall
- 2 Gol Gumbaz Mosque, Entrance on Station Road. The mosque is located inside the Gol Gumbaz complex and is located in the middle of the western wall
- 3 Anand Mahal. This was private residence of the king with the queen, used for relaxing and pleasure, hence the name Anand Mahal.
- 4 Asar Mahal (Entrance on Station Road). This building was constructed in 1646 by the Sultan Mohammed. It was a justice hall.
- 5 Bara Kaman (Near Station Road). Ali Adil Shah II started to build a beautiful structure with 12 arches in 12 rows and 12 columns and 12 storeys tall, so that its shadow would fall on Golgumbaz in the evening. He died before it got completed. Nowadays, the uncompleted monument can be visited.
- 6 Gagan Mahal. This was initially the court of King Adil Shah
- 7 Jumma Masjid (Jamiya Masjid). A Mosque built by Ali Adil Shah I over 300 years ago for the entire city (jumma = public gathering). The Kuran inscriptions in gold is the main attraction. It can contain 2250 devotees. The intricately carved mihrab (the niche that points the direction to Mecca) is absolutely brilliant and is in stark contrast to the generally simple and bare architecture of the mosque itself (which is quite typical for the Deccan monuments) Free entrance.
- 8 Taj Bawdi (Tasabavadi). A large well with the temple of Rama on the other side. According to legend, it was never possible to empty this well.
- 9 Jod Gumbaz (Twin Tombs), East of Taj Bawadi. The tombs date back to the late Adil Shahi period and house the mortal remains of Khan Muhammad and his spiritual advisor, Abdul Razzaq Qadiri. Khan Muhammad was a commander of the Adil Shahi army. He betrayed them and favoured the Mughals. He was executed. The tomb was founded by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Next to the tomb of Khan Muhammad stands the tomb of his spiritual advisor, Abdul Razzaq Qadiri. The tomb complex also houses another smaller tomb.
- 10 Andu Masjid (Anda Masjid). The mosque was built in 1608/09 CE by I'tibar Khan, a noble in the court of Ibrahim Adil Shah II. It is a two-story building following the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The mosque occupies the first floor and part of the ground floor. The remaining part of the first floor probably served as a sarai. The first floor contains an open terrace surrounded by low parapet. The structure is topped with a central ribbed dome and is flanked by four minarates.
- 11 Mehtar Mahal. Mehtar Mahal is a three-storied palace located on the southern side of the Bijapur citadel. It was constructed in the early 17th century under the rule of Ibrahim Adil Shah II. It follows the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture and is complete with slender minarates and ornate oriel windows. The palace is accessible through a giant, decorative teakwood door.
- 12 Sat Mahal (Sat Manjil). A seven-storeyed palace. It is built by Ibrahim Adil Shah II around 1583 as a corner structure within the citadel, which also served as a watchtower. It is in ruins and only 5 of the seven stories survive.
- 13 Jal Mahal (Water Palace) (Opposite Sat Mahal). Located in the middle of a water tank
Gates and bastions of the citadel
[edit]The citadel of Bijapur has 5 gates
- 14 Fateh Darwaza (Mongoli Base). Southern gateway
- 15 Mecca Gate. Western Gateway
- 16 Shahapur Gate. North-western Gate
- 17 Alapur Gate. Eastern Gate
- 18 Bahamani Gate. Northern Gate
The fortification of Bijapur has several bastions. Some of these huge bastions are topped with cannons.
- 19 Upali Buruj (Upli Burz) (Near Malik E Maidan). This is a large structure around 80 feet tall built in 1584. Has cannons at the top. You can get a 360-degree view of Bijapur town.
- 20 Malik E Maidan (Near Mahatma Gandhi Road). Translated as the king of the field, this is a huge cannon made of "Panchaloha" or five metals. It weights 55 tons. This cannon helped Bijapur to defeat mighty the Vijayanagar empire in the battle of Rakkasatangadi (Talikot) in 1565.
Outside Citadel
[edit]The ruins of Bijapur extend beyond the fortified citadel. There are several monuments located on the east and west of the citadel.
East of Citadel
[edit]- 21 Ain-ul-Mulk's Tomb (Chota Gol Gumbaj) (Located outsited the citadel (Eastern side)). The tomb contains the mortal remains of Ain-ul-Mulk, a nobleman in the court of Ibrahim I. He rebelled against the sultan and was killed in 1556. The structure stands on a square base and is topped with a hemispherical dome. Each of the four corners is provided with a domed pavilion. The outer walls are decorated with intricate stucco work. The facade has two tiers of three recessed arches on all its sides. The complex also houses a mosque.
- 22 Jahan Begum's Tomb. Jahan Begum was the wife of Muhammad Adil Shah. The tomb is unfinished and lies in ruins. The tomb, made of black, polished granite, is enclosed inside an arched pavilion, whose roof has long since collapsed. The four ruined minars stand at the corner of the enclosure. The entire area is a walled complex with a mosque on the southern side.
- 23 Jahan Begum Palace, Located south-west of the Jahan Begum Tomb complex. The palace consists of a single-storied structure. It is in ruins. A few arches and jalis are all that remains of the grand palace.
- 24 Shivgiri (80 ft tall statue of Shiva). At 80 ft (24 m) tall, it is the largest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. Entrance ₹3.
West of Citadel
[edit]Ibrahim Rauza mausoleum is located just outside the citadel walls but within the city limits. Sangeeth Nari Mahal and Saat Kabar are located outside the city
- 25 Ibrahim Rauza mausoleum. 06:00 - 18:00. A great architecture for this mausoleum constructed in 1626 by Ibrahim Adil Shah II. It contains the tombs of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and his wife. It also contains the tombs of member of his family. The inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Entrance ₹5 for Indians and ₹100 for foreigners.
- 26 Sangeeth Nari Mahal (Navarasapura). It is a mystery how this great theater of music remained undiscovered until 1990, but when it was found the scientists were amazed about the acoustics used. In the memory of this find, Bijapur celebrates "Navarasapur Utsav" every 5 years where renowned musicians from across India come to perform
- 27 Saat Kabar. Saat Kabar (Literally meaning 60 graves) is believed to house the 63 graves of the wives of Afzal Khan, a general under Adil Shah II. According to legend, Khan had his wives murdered out of jealousy to prevent them from remarrying after he died in battle with Shivaji. The graves are arranged in a rectangular formation, with a mosque on the western side. To the west of the grave complex lies a small step well.
Do
[edit]- Bijapur Market, Gandhi Circle. You can wander around this crowded and noisy market and see the vegetables and spices which are sold there.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- Kamat restaurant, Station Road (same building as Kanishka International Hotel). Excellent veg Indian food.
- Mysore Restaurant, Gandhi Circle. A nice veg restaurant which is usually crowded for lunch. At the last floor, it offer a nice view of the market. ₹32 for a thali.
Drink
[edit]The drinking places of Bijapur are a little squalid. If you would like to have a drink it is more pleasant to do that during day time. The local bars are patronised by the rural population who like to gulp the entire contents of their quarter sized whisky bottle in go. It is an experience for those who like to observe local customs.
Most of the decent hotels on Station Road have a more 'civilised' bar with air conditioning. The range of alcohol choices may be limited i.e. mostly Indian made brands.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Golden Heights, Station Road (It is on Station Road, midway between MG Square and Gol Gumbaz). A decent hotel, more suited for the business traveller. The restaurant on the ground floor is pure vegetarian while the bar-restaurant on the top floor serves non-vegetarian. They have an excellent biriyani. ₹850 - 1500.
- 2 Hotel Heritage International, Station Road (Near Golgumbaz), ☏ +91 8352 221006. Check-out: 24 hours. Rooms from ₹500 to ₹750.
- 3 Hotel Megharaj Lodge, Station Road, ☏ +91 8352 254458. Check-out: 24 hours. Simple and well located hotel in the center of the town. A/C and non A/C rooms are available. Rooms from ₹200 to ₹540.
- 4 Hotel Pearl, Station Road (Opposite to Golgumbaz), ☏ +91 8352 256002, fax: +91 8352 243606. Check-out: 24 hours. Clean a quiet hotel. At the top you could appreciate a nice view to the Golgumbaz. There is a TV and hot water in every room. Rooms from ₹600 to ₹1100.
Connect
[edit]- Area code international, +91 8352.
- Area code national, 08352.
Go next
[edit]- Aihole, another Hindu temple complex near Pattadakal.
- Badami, a village famous for its cave temples located 128 km southwest of Bijapur.
- Hampi, former capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, now in ruins, destroyed by the armies of Bijapur after the Battle of Talikota. Take a bus from Bijapur bus stand to Hospet and then take the regular 15-minute bus service to Hampi.
- Pattadakal, Hindu temples which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 60 km southwest of Bijapur.
- Lakkundi
- Udupi
- Anshi National Park
- Tumkur
- Dakshina Kannada
- Kalaburagi