Bijapur Tour & Travel Guide

Delve into the Heritage, History, Culture & Legends of Bijapur

Bijapur, officially Vijayapura, of Karnataka state is well known for its historical monuments of the Adil Shah dynasty. Bijapur is 530 km from Bengaluru and 384 km from the city of Hyderabad. Bijapur district is traditionally, historically and legendarily one of the richest & oldest regions in Karnataka. Historical evidences found here unveils that Bijapur was an inhabited place ever since the Stone Age.

The region has been many upsurges and have been ruled by number of mighty rulers. It was in 1518 when the Bahmani Sultanate was divided into five states and one of them was Bijapur. The city, during the period 1490–1686, was ruled by the Adil Shah dynasty. This region owes much greatness to Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah, who founded Bijapur as an independent state. The rule of Adil Shah Dynasty ended in 1686, when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb won over Bijapur and later he converted this place into an imperial top-level province. Later in 1724 the Nizam of Hyderabad embarked his independence in the Deccan, including Bijapur. It was in 1760, when the Marathas defeated the Nizam and Bijapur was relinquished to the Maratha Peshwa. Post Maratha rule, British East India Company took over Bijapur after defeating the Peshwa. Consequently, all these upheavals contributed to the heritage, history, culture and legend of Bijapur

The place is a delight for tourist interested to explore Indian history. Dotted with numerous monuments & relics of the yore, Bijapur is an interesting place to visit. Some of the prominent sightseeing destinations in Bijapur are Ibrahim Roza or the Jumma Masjid, which was built by Ali Adil Shah I over 300 years ago. The prime attraction in this mosque is the gold inscriptions in Quran. Malik-e-Maidan, is also a touristy place that has a huge "Panchaloha" cannon, weighing 55 tons. The most popular place in Bijapur is the Gol Gumbaz, which is the largest unsupported dome in the world. This is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah and his family. Built in 1659, this monument is famous world over for its acoustic architecture. Another mausoleum with great architecture here is the Ibrahim Rauza mausoleum, which was made in 1626 and contains the tombs of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, his wife & other family members.

An interesting attraction here is a step-well Tasabavadi, a large well with a temple of Lord Rama on the other side and this well never dried up nor was it ever possible to empty it. Upali Buruj is a place to get 360 degrees view of Bijapur town. It is a huge structure of 80 feet height built in 1584 with a cannons atop. Some other places that interest tourists are Gagan Mahal, Asar Mahal, Largest Statue of Lord Shiva, Bara Kaman, Anand Mahal, Navarasapur and more. Famous for numerous historical monuments, Bijapur is a touristy destination that takes the traveler back to the bygone days of the royal era.