Musafir

Before you continue reading, read the previous post.

The interior of has plain but lofty style of architecture appropriate to a place of worship. The hall is 49 feet in length and 24 feet in width. Corresponding to the mosque and adjoining the minaret, was the library, which has completely perished. But as architects of the East generally design the wings of the building in a uniform plan, it is not unlikely that the plan of the library is a replica of that of the mosque.

By entering the building through the opening where the main gateway once stood, and following the either of the two passages to the right and left of the porch, the inner court is reached, which measures 103 feet and has a dodecagonal cistern in the middle. It was a large one where its water was apparently supplied by a subterranean channel from the well in the forecourt of the building. The marginal slabs of this cistern are now missing, and its current depth is only 3 feet.

As the  northern and western wings of the building are in a better state of preservation than those of the other sides, it would be best to begin the description of the different apartments of the Madrasa from its northern wing. At the extreme eastern end of this wing, adjoining the mosque described above, is a square hall with a dome shaped ceiling which measures 27 feet on each side at the base, but its corners are slightly cut The walls are plan but there are series of receding arches combined with the elegant design in the northern projection of the hall, take away any monotony from the building. The hall was apparently meant for the residence of the principal teacher of the Madrasa who would have acted also as the Imam. Corresponding to this hall there was another in the southern wing of the building which has completely disappeared, but its plan has been determined by the excavations carried out the Archaeological Department.

It is said that the southern wing got demolished by a lightning, however, the actual reason was different. After the capture of Bidar by Aurangzeb in the latter end of the 17th Century, these splendid range of buildings were used as a storage of powder magazine and barracks for a body of cavalry, when by accident the powder exploded destroying the greater part of the edifice causing dreadful havoc around. All we can see in this wing is a large gaping hole on one side the building with the arch and a pillar as silent witnesses of the destruction.

Beyond the latter two halls, the plan on the northern and southern wings of the Madrasa is uniform, comprising a large hall in the middle with pairs of student rooms built on either side of it. These rooms rise to three storeys and there is a verandah in front of each with an arched opening towards the court. Each student accommodation consists of two rooms where the inside one was a sleeping quarter. The back rooms of this apartments are fitted with windows opening on grounds surrounding the buildings. The windows were originally fitted with jalis. of elegant designs which were restored in recent times. The arrangement of the apartments shows that the architect has taken into consideration the comfort of the students in all seasons of India. There are thirty six suits of these rooms in all the three storeys of the building and according to the estimate, if we consider each suite to accommodate three students, the Madrasa was capable of accommodating 108. The halls in the middle were meant to be lecture halls where you can see calligraphic texts here and there. At the north-west and south-west corners, the architect had planned rooms for professors, which are not only comfortable for living but also have pleasing designs.

The architect has planned a platform all round to make the structure more secure. The walls of the Madrasa measure exactly 242 feet from east to west and 220 feet from north to south. They are built of rough-tooled masonry, which has been covered with plaster and emblazoned with tiles.

The more we talk about this amazing construction, the less it is. I spent in the premises for more than half an hour and moved on to visit the Bahmani Tombs in Ashtur.