Bijapur district General information
Bijapur is a district in the state of Karnataka in southern India. The city of Bijapur is the headquarters of the district, and is located 530 km northwest of Bangalore. Bijapur is well known for the great monuments of historical importance built during the Adil Shahi dynasty. Bijapur is one of the largest districts in Karnataka and has an area of 10541 sq Km. Consisting 5.49% of the area of the state. It is nearly 580 Kms from the state capital Bangalore. It lies between 15x50 and 17x28 North Latitude and 74x54 and 76x28 East Longitude. The district is bounded by Solapur district on the north and Sangli on the north-west (both of Maharastra state), by the district of Belgaum on the west, Bagalkote on the south, Gulburga on the East and by Raichur on the south-east. Thus, it is a land-locked district on the northern boundary of Karnataka.
The foundation of this historic city was laid during the reign of the Chalukya dynasty of Kalyani between the tenth and Eleventh centuries. They called it Vijayapure, the “City of Victory”, from which comes its present name Bijapur.
Bijapur came under Muslim influence, first under Allaudin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, towards the end of the 13th century, and then under the Bahamani kings of Bidar in 1347.
In 1481, Mohammed III, one of the Bahamani Sultans, appointed Yusuf Adil Khan as the Governor of Bijapur, one of the sons of Sultan Mahmud II of Turkey. Yusuf Adil Khan fled from his country on the death of his father, to escape the massacre of crown prince in the battle for succession to the throne. Mahmud Gavan, the Prime Minister of Mohammed III, purchased him as a slave.
With the decline of the Bahamani power at Bidar, Yusuf declared his independence in 1489 and thus became the founder of Adil Shahi dynasty, which survived as a kingdom till its annexation by Mughal Emperor Aurangzed in 1686.
Bijapur experienced a great burst of architectural activity under the Adil Shahi dynasty. The Adil Shahis encouraged building activity to such an extent that Bijapur itself has over 50 mosques, more than 20 tombs and a number of palaces. The “Gol Gumbaz” one of the Seven Wonders of the World is magnificent architectural masterpiece, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.
History
The foundation of this historic city was laid during the reign of the Chalukya dynasty of Kalyani between the tenth and Eleventh centuries. They called it Vijayapure, the “City of Victory”, from which comes its present name Bijapur.
Bijapur came under Muslim influence, first under Allaudin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, towards the end of the 13th century, and then under the Bahamani kings of Bidar in 1347.
In 1481, Mohammed III, one of the Bahamani Sultans, appointed Yusuf Adil Khan as the Governor of Bijapur, one of the sons of Sultan Mahmud II of Turkey. Yusuf Adil Khan fled from his country on the death of his father, to escape the massacre of crown prince in the battle for succession to the throne. Mahmud Gavan, the Prime Minister of Mohammed III, purchased him as a slave.
With the decline of the Bahamani power at Bidar, Yusuf declared his independence in 1489 and thus became the founder of Adil Shahi dynasty, which survived as a kingdom till its annexation by Mughal Emperor Aurangzed in 1686.
Bijapur experienced a great burst of architectural activity under the Adil Shahi dynasty. The Adil Shahis encouraged building activity to such an extent that Bijapur itself has over 50 mosques, more than 20 tombs and a number of palaces. The “Gol Gumbaz” one of the Seven Wonders of the World is magnificent architectural masterpiece, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.
Demographic features:
The district’s population (18.10 lakhs) constitutes 3.42% of the total population of the state. The population growth during 1981-91 was less than state average of 2.10% per annum. About 80% (14.48 lakh) of the population live in rural area as against the state average of 69% Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 20.1% (3.1 lakh) of the population. The density of population at 172 per Sq K.M. far less than the state average of 44.6 Workers as a percentage to total population are 39.81% which is comparable to the state figure of 44.1% The literacy rate at 56% stood marginally above the state figure of 55.The literacy rate among male is 57.95% whereas among female it is only 39.14%.
Topography
Geographically, the district lies in the tract of the Deccan Plateaus. The lands of the district can be broadly divided into three zones: the northern belt consisting of the northern parts of Bijapur Taluks of Indi and Sindagi; the central belt consisting of Bijapur city; the southern belt consisting of the rich alluvial plains of the Krishna Rivers parted from the central belt by a stretch of barren Trap. The northern belt is a succession of low rolling uplands without much vegetation, gently rounded and falling into intermediate narrow valleys. The upland soil being shallow, the villagers are generally confined to the banks of the streams and are far away from one another. The Don Volley has plains and consists of rich tracts of deep black soil stretching from west to east. Across the Krishna River is a rich plain crossed from west to east by two lines of sandstone hills. Further south towards Badami and South-West to east by two lines of sandstone hills. Further south towards Badami and South West of Hunagund, the hills increase the number and the black soil gives way to the red.
Drainage
The District, criss-crossed by several streams and rivers, is drained mainly by the Krishna river which is one of the two great rivers of South India. Bhima, Don.
Rainfall
There are 34 rain gauge stations in Bijapur District. The average annual rainfall for the district is 552.8 mm with 37.2 rainy days. The monsoon generally breaks in the district during June and lasts till October. The highest mean monthly rainfall is 149.2 mm in the month of September and lowest is 3.4 mm in February. The annual rainfall variation in the district is marginal from place to place.
People and culture
People from the central Asian regions settled in this part, when they landed as part of the caravan with the muslium rulers. The local population is mainly a mix of Dravidian and Aryan descendants. Majority of people are Hindu Lingayats. But still in the urban areas one can find considerable population of Brahmin. However very little population of Muslim and Christian community can be found in the district. As per the 2001 census 3,34,254 people belong to the Scheduled Castes and 30,051 to the Scheduled Tribes. People belonging to the Lambani tribe have settled in the districts since long. The villages in which these groups live are referred as "Tandas"
Sports
Off late Bijapur district has produced some of the best known Road Cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. [3]
Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Sports complex serves as the main centre for all activities related to sports. Facilities are available in the single sports complex for track and field events, volleyball, basket ball, cricket and a venedrome for cycling. Apart from the government managed infrastructure the private trust run BLDEA's Medical and Engineering college campus has also access to the state-of-the art facilities for fitness and sports. It can be noted that the popular games in the rural areas are Kabaddi and Kho Kho apart from Cricket. Cricket is still popular among local youth however having a winning team of Volley ball and foot ball is a matter of prestige for all the schools and colleges.
Every year the district administration organizes the Dasara Sports Meet during the Dasara festival to identify and nurture the talent of the future.
Art and culture
Navaraspur was the auditorium of the Adil Shahs, it is about 10 km outside the city limits. The ruins of the site are still visible. Every year the local administration organizes the Navaraspur Festival to attract tourists. Great personalities like Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Mallikarjun Mansur, Gangubai Hangal and many more have performed in this festival.
* Shri Shiddeshwar Temple situated at the heart of the city is a holy place for Hindus which is also a very beautiful tourist place to visit. During Makar Sankranti an annual fare is organized by Shri Siddheshwar Temple. This fair is well known for the cattle market which is organized outside the city limits. Farmers from neighboring villages and even some parts of Maharastra come to trade in cattle. During this period fireworks display will be held.
* The Kittur Rani Chenamma Theatre still stages dramas by professionals. However due to the decrease in the patronization the drama companies are closing down. Ninasam, (Shri Nilakanteshwara Nataka Sangha), an experimental theatre troupe started by K.V.Subanna visit Bijapur and show case their art during the Ninasam "Tirugata"(meaning: Wandering in kannada) Kandgal Hanumantharayara Ranga Mandira on the station road, serves as the centre of art of culture. During summer many workshops on theatre are held at this auditorium under the sponsorship of the local administration.
Economy
Farming and agriculture related business is the main occupation for many people in the district. Of the total geographical area of 10,530 square kilometres, 7,760 square kilometres is available for cultivation which is 74% of the total area, while areas under forest account for only 0.19% of the total area. Only 17.3% of the net cultivable area is irrigated and the balance 82.7% of the area has to depend on the monsoon.
The cropping pattern in the district reveals that food crops like jowar, maize, bajra and wheat among cereals, red gram, Bengal gram and green gram among pulses are major crops cultivated in the district. The major oilseed crops are sunflower, groundnut and sunflower. Horticulture crops like grapes, pomegranate, ber, guave sapota, lime are also grown. A recent trend shows that there is a low shift towards fruit crops like Pomegranate and grapes of the total area of 8,610 square kilometres. Covered during 2002-03 cereals occupy about 55.2% by oilseeds 24.5% pulse 15.6% and other commercial crops like cotton and sugarcane about 4.8%. There is a slight shift towards commercial crops like cotton and sugarcane over last 2 years. The land holding pattern in the district indicates that small and marginal farmers account for 4% of total land holdings and 0.6% of the total land, semi-medium for 27.5% with 10.1% of total land while 68% of the holdings are above 20,000 m², accounting for 89.3% of land. Many small scale industries are working in the district however no large scale industry can be found in the district.
Education
Of late Bijapur is emerging as a hub for professional education. Previously (i.e. before 1980s) there were very few professional educational institutions.Along with the professional colleges there are many colleges which provide under-graduate and post-graduate degrees in the faculty of arts, science and social-sciencesMany of these colleges except professional are affiliated to Karnatak University Dharwad. Karnatak University has a Post-Graduation Centre at Bijapur also.Engineering colleges are affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University and Medical colleges are affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences [4].Various post graduate course are conducted here. At present there are 47 affiliated Colleges under jurisdiction of 12 districts namely Bagalkot, Belguam, Bellary, Bidar, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Gulbarga, Haveri, Koppal, Raichur, Uttar Kannada Additionally Bijapur boasts of the Only Sainik School in the whole state. This is a residential school preparing cadets for the Defence forces.
Tourist Place
Gol Gumbaz: This is the most famous monument in Bijapur. It is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (ruled 1627-1657). It is the second largest dome ever built, next in size only to St Peter's Basilica in Rome. A particular attraction in this monument is the central chamber, where every sound is echoed seven times. Another attraction at the Gol Gumbaz is the Whispering Gallery, where even minute sounds can be heard clearly 37 metres away. Gol Gumbaz complex includes a mosque, a Naqqar Khana (a hall for the trumpeters) (Now it is used as museum) and the ruins of guest houses.
Ibrahim Rauza: This is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II (ruled 1580-1627), the fifth king of the dynasty and, like the Mughal emperor Akbar, known for religious tolerance. Built on a single rock bed, it is noted for the symmetry of its features. It is said that the design for the Ibrahim Rauza served as an inspiration for that of the famous Taj Mahal.
The Gun: Malik-E-Maidan, which means the master of the war frontMalik-e-Maidan (The Monarch of the Plains) the largest medieval cannon in the world. Being 4 m long, 1,5 m in diameter and weighing 55 tons, this gun was brought back from Ahmadnagar in the 17th century as a trophy of war by 400 oxen, 10 elephants and tens of men. It was placed on the Sherza Burj (Lion Gate) on a platform especially built for it. The cannon's nozzle is fashioned into the shape of a lion's head. It is said that after igniting the cannon, the gunner would remain underwater in a tank of water on the platform to avoid the deafening explosion. The cannon remains cool even in strong sunlight and if tapped, tinkles like a bell. In 1854 the cannon was auctioned for Rs. 150 but the sale was cancelled in the end.
Upri Buruj: Built around 1584 by Hyder Khan, is an 80 ft (25 m) high tower standing to the north of Dakhani Idgah in Bijapur. This is a spherical structure with stone steps winding round the outside. Top of the tower offers a commanding view of the city. This is also known as "Hyder Burj", "Upli Burj". On top of Upli Burj there are two guns of huge size. The parafeet this tower which was used for monitoring purposes has been fenced now. One needs to climb the circular stairs to reach the top. However except for this tower there is very little evidence of the citadel wall in this area due to rampant construction.
Gagan MahalChand Bawdi: Ali Adil Shah (1557-1580) built this tank near eastern boundary of Bijapur. When there was large influx of people into Bijapur after the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, and new settlements came up within the walled city raising the need for better infrastructure and providing water supply. This has a storage capacity of 20 million litres. Later it became a model for many other tanks constructed in the city. A grandeur complex came up around it, which was mainly used to house the maintenance staff though members of the royal family occasionally used it for recreation. He named this after his wife "Chand Bibi". The incomplete masolueum of Adil Shah, Barakaman(Ali Roza-II), which means twelve arches in Urdu
Asar MahalAsar Mahal: The Asar Mahal was built by Mohammed Adil Shah in about 1646, which was used to serve as a Hall of Justice. The building was also used to house hairs from the Prophet's beard. The rooms on the upper storey are decorated with frescoes and the front is graced with a square tank. Here women are not allowed inside. Every year there is urs (festival) held at this place. In front of the hall, one can see three tanks the bigger tank, which is at the centre is about 15 feet deep however the other two are comparatively smaller in size as well as depth. Behind Asar Mahal one can still see the remain of the citadel. Just a kilometer away behind Asar Mahal, one can still find the old mosque which is on top of the citadel wall. There is a big entrance with arc below this mosque. Many stones have inscriptions. The site is under maintenance of Archeological Survey of India Gagan Mahal, Which means Sky Palace, is built with a 21- meter façade and four wooden massive pillars, has a majestic central arch. Sikandar Adil Shah, in silver chains, surrendered to Aurangzeb in 1681 here.
Barakaman (Ali Roza-II): A mausoleum of Ali Roza built in 1672. It was previously named as Ali Roza, but Shah Nawab Khan changed its name to Bara Kaman as this was the 12th monument during his reign. It has now seven arches and the tomb containing the graves of Ali, his queens and eleven other ladies possibly belonging to the Zenana of the queens. Among the other historical attractions at Bijapur, some notable ones are the Anand Mahal, Jod Gumbaz, Jumma Mosque, Sat Manzil, and Jal Manzil.
Jumma Masjid
Jumma Masjid is the other attraction of this city. Jumma Masjid still used for worship, has been called one of the first mosques in India. It holds an exquisite copy of the Quran, written in gold. Also dating back to the period of Adil Shah this is the largest Masjid in the region. Barah Cummon (12 arches) is another wonderful piece of architecture created simply with twelve interleaving arches as a centre stage for art festivities.