Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur History and Information
Gol Gumbaz is the tomb of Muhammad Adilshah, the seventh ruler of the Adilshahi dynasty, located in the city of Bijapur in the state of Karnataka. It is the second largest dome in the world. It took twenty years to build this huge dome.
This building was built by the famous architect Yakut of Dhavul.
The Gol Gumbad is the second largest mausoleum in the world and also houses the tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur. Adil Shah was the ruler of the royal dynasty from 1460 to 1696. Tourists must visit Gol Gumbaz as it has a historical significance.
Gol Gumbaz Information:
| Location | Bijapur or Vijayapura |
| Timings | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; closed on Fridays |
| Entry Fee | ₹ 25 for Indians and SAARC citizens; ₹ 300 for foreigners |
| Timings of the Museum | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; closed on Fridays |
| Museum Entry Fee | ₹ 5 per head |
| Camera | ₹ 25 |
| Date of Establishment | 1626 to 1656 |
| Commissioned by | Mohammed Adil Shah |
| Architectural Style | Deccan Indo-Islamic |
| Architect | Yaqut of Dabul |
| Status | Monument maintained by the Archeological Survey of India |
| Material Used | Dark grey basalt |
| Distance from Major Cities | Bangalore (525 km); Mysore (610 km); Goa (310 km); Pune (350 km); Mumbai (420 km); Hyderabad (380 km) |
Don’t Miss : Qutub Minar
The floor area of ​​this dome is 18,337 square feet, which is only slightly smaller than the dome of the Pantheon St. Peter-Circle in Rome. Its height is 175 feet from the floor and its ceiling occupies about 130 feet of square space.
The arch of this dome is amazingly huge. To reduce the force of its impact on the walls, the dome has heavy suspended structures, so that the weight of the dome remains inward.
The diameter of this dome is 44 meters, there is no support in the inner part of this dome, which is still a mystery.
It also has a whispering gallery. The sound in this gallery is echoed 7 times and is clearly heard from one side to the other. It is believed that King Adil Shah and his Begum used to talk to each other on the way to this gallery.
Also Read : Buland Darwaza
The sound of a man’s feet is heard as if many people are walking together. If you laugh out loud somewhere, you will hear it as if someone is making a loud noise, even the sound of tearing a piece of paper sounds like a thunder of lightning.
That is why there is great difficulty in talking even standing at a distance inside this dome, because the sound is not heard clearly due to the echo. Singers used to sit in this gallery and sing so that their voice and music could reach every corner.
Architecture – Information About Gol Gumbaz
The architecture of this dome, was conveniently built on the 8th floor with 4 minarets and entrance curved stairs. Its large walled gardens with a height of 51 meters and an area of ​​1700 square meters were built for the tomb.
It is astonishing to see the structure of this building. There are 11 feet wide verandahs on all four sides of the inner samadhi.
The roofs of these verandahs were also supported by arches at a height of 109 feet 6 inches. To be raised on the towers, you have to live in them. Fake mausoleums have been built on a high platform in the middle of the building. The original tombs are within the basement in an area of ​​205 square feet.
The garden located here is quite beautiful. The complete view of the city of Bijapur is visible from the top of this dome.
The Gol Gumbaz is the second largest domed monument in the world after St. Peters. Due to being very ancient, there was a ruckus due to the cracking of this dome at various places, after which the Government of India has repaired this monument by spending lakhs of rupees.
How to reach Gol Gumbaz?
Bijapur can be reached via Bangalore, Belgaum and Goa. Belgaum is the nearest of these three. This is also the airport and from here Bijapur is 205 km. Stay can be seen at Maurya Adil Shahi, Sanman, Samrat and Madhuvan International hotels.
