Day 43: Bijapur to Hampi

0 Posted by - April 27, 2014 - Culture, Rearview Mirror

A visit to Bijapur, is incomplete without a visit to the Archaeology Museum here, and of course, the 16th Century Bijapur Fort. In 1518, the Bahmani Sultanate split into five splinter states known as the Deccan sultanates, one of which was Bijapur, ruled by the kings of the Adil Shahi dynasty (1490–1686).

The city of Bijapur owes much of its greatness to Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the independent state of Bijapur. The rule of this dynasty ended in 1686, when Bijapur was conquered during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The city consists of three distinct portions: the citadel, the fort and the remains of the city.

Origin: Bijapur
Destination: Hampi

Distance Covered: 215 kms

States Covered: Karnataka

Gol Gumbaz: This is the most famous monument in Bijapur. It is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (ruled 1627-1657).[2] It is the largest dome ever built in India, next in size only to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Ibrahim Rauza: This is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II (ruled 1580-1627), the fifth king of the dynasty and, like the Mughal emperor Akbar, known for religious tolerance. Built on a single rock bed, it is noted for the symmetry of its features. It is said that the design for the Ibrahim Rauzaserved as an inspiration for that of the famous Taj Mahal.

Jod Gumbaz: A pair of tombs is housed in this. The floors of both the tombs are at a very considerable elevation, as the graves have been built at floor level. Both the buildings have galleries within the domes.


 

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