Musafir

This building adjoins the Rangin Mahal and is a few steps away from the banyan tree we talked about in one of the previous posts. The building at one time may have been used for the royal kitchen, but it is too large for having built for that purpose, and from its plan it would appear to have been the residence of a prince or of some dignitary. There is an inscription to this effect in the inner entrance which says that a Bijapur general stayed here. There is another inscription which records the conquest of Ibrahim Adil Shah in 1619 AD. During the early 19th century, it was used as the District Jail but with the efforts of Ghulam Yazdani, it was handed over to the Archeological Survey of India.

The building is entered by an arched gateway which leads to an open court. A modern colonnade with semi circular arches runs on three sides of this court. The south wing has an inner gateway and seven rooms with double apartments. On passing through the inner gateway a court is reached which has a spacious platform at the southern end. There is a small cistern in the middle of the platform, indicating the presence of fountains and water channels once. The main building of the palace faces north and comprises a series of rooms and chambers which now have been replaced with some modern constructions probably done during the time it was used as a jail.

The domical halls are spacious and star shaped on the inside. There are squinches in the corners which make the plan of the hall look octagonal above the arches. It is probable that this palace was originally built by the Bahmani rulers. It is said that there are traces of some other rooms and in the upper stories but its out of reach now. Behind the western enclosure wall of the palace, is a large well which is approached by a ramp on the left side of the road. The masonry work of the well has been raised to a great height, so the water when drawn to that level might flow into the cistern and water fountains in the upper storey of the palace.