Bijapur Tourism and Travel Guide
History of The City: The foundations of this historic city were laid during the reign of the Chalukyan dynasty of Kalyani between the tenth and eleventhBijapur 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. One of the sons of Sultan Mahmud II of Turkey. Yusuf 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 which 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.
How to Reach Bijapur?
Bijapur is the administrative headquarters of Bijapur District, and is located 530 km northwest of Bangalore.
How to Reach Bijapur by Road: Bijapur is connected by road to most Bijapurplaces in south and west India. These are: Aihole (110 km), Badami (138 km), Pattadakal (148 km),
Hampi (220 km), Belgaum (205 km), Bangalore (550 km), Bombay (486 km). The National highway 13 passes through the district in the eastern and central parts.
How to Reach Bijapur by Rail: You can get to Bijapur easily as the railway line connecting Solapur in Maharastra and Hubli passes through the center of the district, via Indi and Basavan Bagewadi. Bijapur is well connected to Bangalore, Mumbai (via Solapur), Hyderabad (via Solapur), Hospet (via Gadag), Vasco da Gama (via Hubli and Londa). Bijapur railway station comes under the administrative control of HUBLI division of South Central Railway (SCR).
How to Reach Bijapur by Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum (205 km), which is well connected to Mumbai and Bangalore
Food: Both the vegetarian and non vegetarian foods contribute the favorite foods of the people of Bijapur. The flavor and taste of this city is assimilating with those of the other south Indian recipes. The most common non-vegetarian food of this city is accepted as Mughlai and Hyderabadi foods. The south Indian Rasam, Rice, Dosa, Idli, Sambhar, and Uttapam etc, are most common and favorite to many tourists. Despite the south Indian foods, this city restaurants and hotels do also serves tasty recipes of north, west, and east India. Italian recipes, continental recipes, and Chinese recipes are the luxurious cuisines of Bijapur.
Monuments: Gol Gumbaz, situated in Bijapur is an astounding engineering feat. Its enormous “Whispering” dome is second in size only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The dome is the second largest in the world, 124 feet in diameter.Bijapur
The dome stands unsupported by pillars. The fantastic acoustical system in the dome carries the faintest whisper around the dome and returns it to the listener nine times.
Even the tick of a watch or the rustle of paper can be heard across a distance of 37 m in the whispering gallery. The gallery around the dome provides a fabulous view of the town.
The architecture of this building is unique with the four minarets being the four staircases leading to the top dome. The beauty and excellence of this dome must be experienced at least once in a lifetime.
