GOL GUMBAZ OF BIJAPUR

Bijapur, a small town bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka was once the capital of Adil Shah dynasty for more than 200 years. 

Bijapur is a city witness of wars and history from the period             of chalukya to Adil Shahi, Mugal shahi and Maratha. Bijapur is also known for its excellent Muslim architecture like Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza.

Gol Gumbaz is a fine piece of Islamic architectural style. The Gol Gumbaz has a floor area of 1700 square meter, a height of 51 meter and diameter of 37 meters with 3 meter thick walls. The construction of this large tomb took around 20 years to complete.

Mohammed Adil shah started construction of his own tomb to bury his mortal remains right after his ascent to the throne in 1626.

Mohammed Adil shah intended to build for himself a mausoleum comparable and possibly grander in scale than the Ibrahim Rauza, the tomb of his father, Ibrahim Adil Shah II.

The composition and ornamentation of the Ibrahim Rauza is exceptionally intricate and beautiful.

The Gol Gumbaz was planned as a mammoth single chamber structure. The construction of the tomb continued throughout Mohammed Adil Shah’s regime but could not be executed to full extent due to the sudden demise of the Sultan in 1656. Buried along with the Sultan are his two wives, Taj Jahan Begum and Aroos Bibi, his mistress Rambha, his daughter and his grandson. 

Another significant feature of the Gol Gumbaz is its central dome which stands without the support of pillars. The dome is the second largest in the world, with a diameter of almost 600 feet, next only to St. Peter's Basillica in Rome.

The tomb is a giant cube topped with a hemispherical dome. The entire structure is fitted on a 600 feet podium. Staircases in the walls of the main building lead to the seven-storey octagonal tower at each of the four corners.

 Each storey has seven arched windows and all are capped by smaller domes. The seven floors of the towers are demarcated by a projecting cornice and a row of arched openings marking each level.

A broad eighth storey gallery, accessible by winding staircases in the four towers, circles the dome and hangs out at around 3.3 m. This gallery is an acoustic marvel and is called the “Whispering Gallery”. A commendable piece of civil engineering, this amazing echo system reflects any sound for over eleven times.

WHISPERING GALLERY

It has been designed in such a way that one can even hear the faintest tick of a watch across a distance of about 37 meters within the vast dome. Even amidst the chaos we could clearly hear the sound of paper crumpling, coins jingling, clapping and even the noise of a handkerchief shaking.

There are three windows near to the basement which help in the circulation of air and provide cool air to the graves. It is an indigenous method of air conditioning wherein the gumbaz always gets cool air from below.