Bijapur

Introduction and history: The city of Bijapur, which is also the district headquarters of the Bijapur District, is located in the North Western part of Karnataka state. Established during 10th century by the Chalukyas, the city was names as ‘Vijayapura’ meaning the ‘City of victory’ in order to mark Chalukya’s victory tradition. Followed by Chalukyas, the city was captured by the Khilji Sultanate from Delhi by the late 13th century. The city is well known for the great architectures of historical importance. After the Indian independence in 1947, some portion from the older Bijapur, called Satara was made part of the Maharashtra state leaving Bijapur as a district head quarters. Being a border district, Bijapur stands as an example for diversity.

What to see and when to go: The city of Bijapur is best known for its magnificent Gol Gumbaz’ which is the second largest dome in the world. In the central chamber of this dome every sound is echoed seven times, which is one of the unique attractions of this monument. It is also one of the examples used by science students for understanding the behavior of sound. Apart from that Bijapur has multiple historical attractions which include Malik-e-Maidan, Upri Buruj, Chand Bawdi,Asar Mahal,Gagan Mahal,Barakaman,Anand Mahal, Jod Gumbaz, Jumma Mosque, Sat Manzil, and Jal Manzil. September to February is the best time to visit Bijapur.

Accommodation: With his historical importance and rich monuments Bijapur offers accommodation ranging from budget to luxury. Most of the hotels in Bijapur offers accommodation less than 2000 rupees per day.

Mode of Transport: Belgaum is the nearest Airport, which is located at 205 Kilometers from the city. It is well connected to nearby cities Mumbai and Bangalore. It is also well connected with nearby cities by rail. Most of the places in South and Western India are easily reachable from Bijapur via road by National highway number 13 (NH 13).

Related links:

• Bijapur Official website: http://bijapur.nic.in/
• Karnataka tourist information: http://www.karnataka.com/

See also (nearby places): Gulbarga (159 Kilometers), Badami (132 Kilometers), Basavana Bagevadi (43 Kilometers) and Kundalasangama (67 Kilometers) are some of the nearby tourist attractions.