Bijapur Travel

Introduction

The beautiful city of Bijapur is situated in Karnataka State, India. Dotted with architectural marvels, the city boasts of its large number of tombs and mosques. Enriched with rich history, the city has seen various emperors who ruled the city in their own way and contributed to give it a new look. The city is famous for being home to various ancient architectures that provide the glimpses of bygone era. This ancient city has a different charm that takes you to the golden vintage era. This is the reason that the city is still a preferred tourist destination for heritage lovers or the tourists who have keen interest in exploring the history. People of Aryan as well as Dravidian descent along with the Hindu Lingayat form the population of the city.

History

The city holds the history that dates back to the 11th century. The city was founded by the Chalukya dynastyand referred as Vijayapura. In the 14th century, the city was renamed as Vijapur or Bijapur under the Bahamani sultanate of Gulbarga. The major section of the monuments were constructed in 15th century, when the city got the ruler 'Adil Shah'. After independence, the region was covered under Bombay but later it was restored under the Mysore state.

Main Attractions

Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz is the most popular attraction of the city. This ancient tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, who ruled the city in between 1627 and 1657, is said to be the second largest tomb ever built. The major attraction of the tomb is its central chamber. Here every sound is echoed seven times. The pin drop silence is a shorter word for whispering Gallery of this tomb. Here you can hear a minute sound from a distance of 37 metres. Another attraction inside the gumbaz is Naqqar Khana, which was a hall for trumpeters in its olden days. Now the place is converted into museum.

Ibrahim Rauza

As the name reflects, this is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, who ruled the region from 1580 to 1627. He was the fifth king of the dynasty who is known for religious tolerance. It is said that the tomb served as an inspiration for the symbol of eternal love 'Taj Mahal'.

Malik-e-Maidan (The Monarch of the Plains)

It is the largest medieval cannon across the globe. Around 4 m in length, 1.5 m in diameter and a weight of around 55 tons, the gun was brought from Ahmadnagar as a trophy of war. It was placed on a platform called 'Sherza Burj', which was especially built for it. Lion's head-shaped nozzle of the cannon is a must visit place.

Upli Buruj, Chand Bawdi, Asar Mahal, Gagan Mahal, Barakaman, Anand Mahal, Sat Manzil, Jod Gumbaz, Jumma Mosque, Jal Manzil and Elavia House are other famous attractions of the place.