Gol Gumbaz: piece de resistance of Bijapur

Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur (Karnataka) / Image Credit

The most famous monument in Karnataka’s Bijapur, Gol Gumbaz (Round Dome) is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (1627 -56), the seventh ruler of Adil Shahi Dynasty, one of the five succession states that came into existence after disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate of Deccan. Bijapur was established in the 10th–11th centuries during the reign of Kalyani Chalukyas (Western Chalukyas) and was known as Vijayapura (city of victory).

Built by the ruler himself in his lifetime, this gigantic mausoleum is an engineering marvel known for perfect stereophonic acoustics. Its huge round dome is world’s second largest in size only to the dome of St Peter's Basalica in Rome. The external diameter of this hemispherical dome is about 44 metres.

Every sound in the central chamber of the monument is echoed seven times. Another feature of this ambitious monument of the Adil Shahi Dynasty is the whispering gallery, where even the minute sounds can be heard clearly 37 meters away. The external diameter of this hemispherical dome is about 44 metres.

Gol Gumbaz complex contains a mosque, a dargah, a Naqqar Khana (a hall for the trumpeters), and a dharmashala.

In 1636-37 Bijapur was compelled to accept the Mughal suzerainty and pay annual tribute. Muhamamd Adil Shah was able to extend the territories of Bijapur by capturing those of Ahmadnagar and Vijayanagar, and helped the Mughals in annexing the former in 1636. He received the title of Shah from Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, the only ruler of Bijapur to receive such recognition from the Mughals.

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