Bijapur Travel Guide
Think
of Bijapur and the first thing that comes to mind is the Gol Gumbaz
- the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah.
Gol Gumbaz boasts of the second largest dome in the world. 44 meters
in diameter, this dome forms a highly sensitive echo-chamber. The slightest
whisper echoes seven times over and the tick of a clock held at one end can
be distinctly heard at the opposite end - 125 feet away ! But there's a lot
more to Bijapur.
On the western outskirts of the city lies the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil
Shah II - Ibrahim Roza, said to have inspired the Taj Mahal in Agra. Embracing
1,16,300 square feet is the Jumma Masjid - "one of the finest mosques
in India".
Here, in a beautiful mihrab -covered by a heavy curtain - are verses of the
Quran, beautifully inscribed in letters of gold. Malik-e-Maidan - the largest
medieval cannon in the world - is fourteen feet long, weighing about 55 tons.
Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true
! Bijapur is full of such legends. Liked the one surrounding Afzal Khan's
Centaph. It is 
said
that Afzal Khanstarted the construction of his own tomb in his lifetime. But
eventually could not be buried here.
You could spend days exploring Bijapur. Wandering around the Arakilla, the
Anand Mahal, the Mehtar Mahal, the Bara Kaman, the Gagan Mahal, the Amin Durgah,
the Assar Mahal, the Chota Asar, the Faroukh Mahal, the Jahz Mahal, the Jod
Gumbaz… Listening to the quaint Deccan dialect.
Sampling the spicy curry with jowar rotis. And packing a host of delightful
memories to carry back home.
Local Festivals:
The Bijapur Music Festival - featuring the stalwarts of Indian music
- is organized by the Government of Karnataka every year.
Language Spoken: 
Kanada, Urdu, English, Hindi.
Local Food Specialities:
Non - vegetarian preparations distinctly Mughalai or Hyderabadi.
When to go there:.
Bijapur is extremely hot in the summer. September to February would be the
best time to visit the Queen of Deccan.
How to get there.
Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum (205 kms).
Rail: Bijapur is connected by rail to Bangalore, Mumbai, (via sholapur)
Hospet (via Gadag) and Vasco da Gama (via Hubli Londa).
Road: Bijapur is connected by road to most places in south and west
India. These are: · Aihole (129 kms) · Badami (132 kms) · Pattadakal
(148 kms) · Hampi (220 kms) · Belgaum (205 kms) · Bangalore
(550 kms) · Mumbai (486 kms).
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