Tourist Excursions in Bijapur | Excursions in Bijapur India

Bijapur

The visitors can go for excursions to various places around the city of Bijapur. This city is surrounded by numerous beautiful places for excursion. Aihole, Pattadakal, Kadula Sangama, Badami and Basavana Bagewadi are some of the prime sites mostly of tourist’s major choice of destinations. Aihole is at a distance of about 110 km from the city of Bijapur. Aihole is a place of temples that too well known for its architectural and masterpiece carvings on the temples. Apart from other beautiful Hindu temples, there lies the distinct Buddhist Temple spicing to the importance of Aihole.

Prime Attractions in and around Bijapur
The Citadel Surrounded by its own fortified walls and wide moat in the city centre, the Citadel once contained the palaces, pleasure gardens and durbar hall of the Adil Shahi kings. The Citadel in the centre of town though mostly in ruins still has a unique charm. The best of which is the Gagan Mahal built by Adil Shah to serve as the dual purpose of a royal residence and a durbar hall. Nearby is the Sat Manzil, Mohammed Adil Shah's seven storey palace, though substantially in ruins. Then there are the Jala Manzil, a delicate water pavilion surrounded by secluded courts and gardens and the Bara Kaman, the ruined mausoleum of Ali Roza that has graceful arches.

Malik-e-Maidan
One of the largest bell metal guns in the world, it measures 4.45 m in length, 1.5 m in diameter and weighs 55 tons. Placed on the walls of the city, a unique feature of this legendary cannon of the Adil Shahis is that it is always cool to touch even under the blazing sun and when tapped gently it tinkles softly like a bell.

The muzzle of the gun is shaped like the head of a lion with open jaws and between the carved fangs is depicted an elephant being crushed to death. Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true!

Bara Kamaan
This unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah, if completed, might have surpassed all others of its kind. Its 12 graceful arches, which give it the name Bara Kamaan, makes one feel the power of time & death.

Jumma Masjid
The Jumma Masjid is said to be the most beautiful mosque in south India and one of the finest in India. It is the largest and the first constructed mosque in Bijapur. It was built between 1557 -1686, most of it during Ali Adil Shah reign, who acquired the land after defeating the rich Ramaraja of Vijayanagar. Sprawling over an area of about 1,16,300 sq.m and having graceful arches, a fine dome and a large inner courtyard with room for 2250 worshippers, spaces for them marked out in black squares on the polished floor, the Mosque's sacred alcove has the Koran intricately painted on it with letters of gold.

Mehtar Mahal
gol gumbazThis finely wrought gateway to the mosque is an excellent example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. It is embellished by a profusion of carvings in the form of brackets supporting the balconies and stone trellis work in Hindu Style. The Mehtar Mahal is a stained but richly decorated building that serves as an ornamental gateway to a small mosque. It is said that it was built for the sweepers of the royal house!

Taj Bawdi
This great tank was built to commemorate Ibrahim II's first wife Taj Sultana. Its front is a majestic arch flanked by 2 octagonal towers, the east & west wings of the towers form spacious rest houses.

Asaar Mahal: Asar Mahal, located near the citadel, served as a Hall of Justice. It is believed to contain some relics of Prophet Mohammed. It was constructed about 1646 by Mohammed Shah. There are Landscape paintings and designs on the walls and ceiling of the hall. Women are not allowed inside.

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