Afzal Khan Cenotaph

Rayappa Kasi Tombs of Ibrahim Adil Shah Family, Bijapur, India

Ibrahim Rauza Mausoleum is on the outskirts of Bijapur, just 2 km away to be precise. It was built by Ibrahim Adil Shah II for his begum Taj Sultan initially, and is now the resting place for both of them. Bijapur as a destination is a fine example of the Adil Shahi Dynasty and Deccan architecture in its prime. The tomb as well as the adjoining mosque was designed by the Persian architect Malik Sandal; whose grave also rests here in the courtyard.

Gol Gumbaz Bijapur Adil Shah makbara

Tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah - Vijayapur Karnataka India

The mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah is popularly known as 'Gol Gumbad' (Round Dome). It is most remarkable and of the largest single building in India. It is the largest domical roof in the world to-day with the diameter of 42.97 meters.
This is the largest covered area by a single dome in the world.
An inscription on the main door way, in three sections, reads in Persian The end of Muhammad has become laudable/Muhammad Sultan whose abode is in paradise / the abode of became Muhammad Shah. On computing the values of the Persian letters, gives the date of Muhammad Shah’s death as 1067 Hijrah (1656).
The tomb building is one of the items of the complex of architectural scheme which comprises a mosque, a naqqar-khan (drum house) now houses the museum; a gate-way, a rest house and other structures of amenities, all contained within a walled enclosure. The plan of the Gol Gumbad is simple. It has a great square hall, enclosed by four lofty walls, buttressed up by octagonal towers at the corners, and the whole surmounted by a hemispherical dome. Storey’s with arched opening all around.

In the centre of the hall, on a high platform, are counterfeit tombs. The real graves are in the vault underneath. Tall pointed arches forming the sides are the special architectural features of this grand vaulted hall. These arches give support to a circular platform above, provided to receive the base of the dome. The dome is a plain plastered vault with six small openings through the drum and a flat section at its crown, but without any central pendant. It appears that the principle of the construction of the vaulting of the dome was derived from the Ottoman and Persian sources. Possible there is also Seljuk influence on the dome of the Gol Gumbad. Obviously the designer of the tomb must have been one from Turkey or Persia and experienced in such type of architectural construction.

02 The Gol Gumbaz Bijapur The mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah by Shirishkumar Patil

The Gol (Round) Gumbaz (Dome) is the mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah (r. 1627-1656) of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur. It appears to have been the desire of the ruler to build a mausoleum that was comparable to that of his father, Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Since his father's mausoleum, known as the Ibrahim Rauza, was exceptional in composition and decoration, the only means of avoiding direct competition was through size. It is one of the biggest single chamber structures in the world and covers an area of 18,225 square feet (1,693 square meters), which is bigger than the better known Pantheon in Rome which is 14,996 square feet (1,393 square meters). The mausoleum is part of a complex that includes a mosque, a dharmshala (inn for travelers) and other buildings related to the sovereign's mausoleum. The building was never properly completed as intended since construction began towards the end of Muhammad Adil Shah's reign. As a result, the tomb is a plain cube with towers on each corner.
Built of dark grey basalt and decorated plaster, the walls are nine feet (2.7 meters) thick and 100 feet (30.5 meters) in height. The interior measures 135 feet (41 meters) on each side. Each exterior face of the cube displays three great blind arches. The central arch is wider than the others and is dressed with wooden panels with small rectangular entrance and three rows of arched windows punched through. Above the south door or main entrance, hanging from a chain from the cornice, is a 'bijli patthar' (meteorite) that is said to have fallen during Muhammad Adil's reign. It's believed the stone guards the tomb from lighting. The cornice and parapet of the cube is the most articulated feature of the façade. The cornice rests on highly carved stone corbels that project about ten feet (three meters) from the wall. The cornice supports the parapet which has a row of arched openings and leaf-shaped merlons.

In the center of the tomb chamber is a platform with the cenotaphs of Muhammad Adil, his youngest wife Arus Bibi, his favorite daughter and a grandson. The main cenotaph is marked by an elaborate wooden baldachin. The real tombs are located below in the basement and are accessed by a staircase under the western entrance. An octagonal chamber was attached to the central arch of the north façade at a much later date. According to some the octagonal chamber was meant to shelter the remains of Jahan Begum, wife of Muhammad Adil, but this would have been contrary to the convention of the wife's grave situated next to the husband's. Please Read next Description on next Video.