Musafir

Once I pass through the naqar khana of the Sharza Darwaza, I see one of the most beautiful sights. An awesome view of the fortifications simply awed me to the core. I am sure that anyone would love that sight. Imagine those days when king was moving inside the fort with soldiers guarding the gateways and the sides. On the left stretches the lines of ramparts with bastions in between and having a passage along the basements for the use of garrison firing at, and hurling missiles on the enemy during siege.

To the north-west, stands the Gumbad Darwaza, which is a most massive structure, the appearance of which presents a striking contrast to the somewhat weak and decorative features of the first two gateways. The distance between the Sharza and Gumbad Darwaza is considerable, but they are connected by a broad passage which is well defended on both sides by massive construction. Two to three thousand solders can easily be posted between these two gateways in time of danger.

The architecture of the Gumbad Darwaza forms an important landmark in the history of Deccan monuments. Its battering walls, its low arch shaped parapet, its fluted corner turrets (guldastas), and its hemispherical dome are all reminiscent of the contemporary architecture of Delhi, but the shape of its outer arch with its significant stilt show Persian influence which gradually became more and more prominent in the buildings of Deccan. The span of this arch is 29 feet. With a view to greater security, the entrance through the Darwaza is through a recessed arch of much smaller dimensions than the outer one, and is fitted with doors plated with iron. The walls of the Darwaza rise 45 feet, above which the dome is built. You would not believe when I say that the thickness of the dome is 10 feet. The interior of the gateway has platforms on either side of the passage for the accommodation of the guards.

From its style of architecture, the gateway seems to be of the earliest period, and it is not unlikely that it was built by Ahmed Shah Wali when he laid the foundations of the fort in 1429. The bastions adjoining the front seem to be later additions built at different periods. We can clearly understand this as they are architecturally not welded into the main body of the gateway, as they cover portions of the original wall and appear as if superimposed. From the entrance of the Gumbad Darwaza, the first object to attract attention is a Banyan tree which is of great antiquity and at one time was of colossal size. 

To continue description of the fortifications, it will be best to take the road which goes in a north- easterly direction on entering the fort from the Gumbad Darwaza. First you notice a bastion and a tower, perhaps used as a keep as it commands a complete view of the city. I have read that the interiors of the tower is beautifully finished with plaster work but today it is barred from entrance. On either side of the tower, there are remains of halls. At a lower level, there are some rooms as shown in this picture with arches heavy in proportion.

There are various other fortifications and gun points all across the fort like the Kalmadgi Gate, Kalyani Burj, Delhi Darwaza, Petla Burj, Lal Burj, Kala Burj, Carnatac Darwaza. However, I am not mentioning the details of each as it would be boring for the readers. Each of these gates and bastions are formidable and of utmost importance in the fort.

In the next post, we will visit the Rangeen Mahal. I am sure that my next post would interest a lot of people as Rangeen Mahal is completely barred from entrance to public and my post would be an exclusive account.

We need to travel outside the city of Bidar for about 2 miles to the village of Ashtur where the tombs of the later Bahmani Sultans are present. We need to pass through the Dulhan Darwaza outside the city. There are eight tombs of the kings of the Bahmani dynasty in this area, and their comparative dimensions and style of architecture demonstrate in the clearest manner the gradual deterioration of the political power of the dynasty.  There is a low wall surrounding the tombs to prevent encroachments from locals which is a good sign. There is a good motor-able road which is increasing tourism activity in this area. Keeping in line with the chronology, the earliest tomb is the one of Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali, who instated Bidar as the capital city. We will talk about each of them.

Ahmed Shah Wali Bahmani: Ahmed Shah Bahmani was a religiously inclined ruler, and accordingly fond the company of saintly personages. He was devoted to Khwaja Bande Nawaz of Gulbarga and later to the order of Shah Nimat-Ullah of Kirman whom he invited the founder to Bidar. It is said, that this saint gave the title “Wali” to Ahmed Shah. The title Wali was used by order of the king in the religious address from the pulpit (khutba). According to his religious inclination, texts are engraved on the inner walls of his tomb. He also respected the doctrine of lingayats, a religious order of the Deccan. The devotion of the latter sect to Ahmed Shah continues to this day, and at the time of the Urs (annual celebrations of the death of a Muslim Saint) their chief priest (Jangam) comes from Gulbarga to Bidar to perform ceremonies according to lingayat rituals.

The architecture of the tomb, as indicated by its external features, shows strength combined with majesty, although except for the stucco work done in the arches, there is no decoration on the walls of the building. The walls are most massively built, their thickness being 12 feet. The dome of the building is three-fourths of an orb in shape with an octagonal base at the roof level, measuring 214 feet in girth, each side of the octagon being 26 feet. At its springing point, it has a circumference of 196 feet and its height including its finial is 107 feet measured from ground level.

The inner plan of the tomb comprises of a square hall 52 feet on each side. There is a lofty arch in the middle of each of the four sides of the hall. The plan, accounting to these features looks pleasing to the eye, but the architect has further ornamented it by building squinches at the four corners of the hall, thus the building becoming octagonal at the top of the squinches. Above this, the plan is further changed making it 24 sided owing to the design below the circular base of the dome. The interior, although dark is artistically relieved by splashes of the most brilliant color combinations used to design the insides. For instance, in order to show with effect the brilliance of the gold creeper, a extremely dark background was used as you see in the above picture.. The practice of giving a while outline to the drawing which a view of suggesting an idea of depth to the subject could have been inspired by the ones in Ajanta painted during the 5th and 6th Centuries. There are textual forms of sayings by famous saints inscribed on many tablets inside this tomb. There are some more inscriptions on the life and times of Ahmed Shah Wali. Another important feature of this painting is that one of them contains the name of the painter with a reference to his native place. The most elegant of all the paintings is the octagonal shapes of gold on the walls and inner side the dome.

The various features of this tomb, such as its vast dimensions, solid architecture, choice color schemes, and subtle decorative patterns, show the lofty ideals of the builder on the one hand and his exquisite taste and religious spirit on the other. This last mentioned quality is amply demonstrated by the holy texts inscribed on the building, as also by the ritual which is still observed by the votaries of the tomb, who although professing different faiths and belonging to different nationalities, all join together in paying their homage to the memory of the saintly king.

We will talk about the other tombs of the vicinity in the next post.

We have talked about the History of Bidar extensively. We shall start visiting the monuments now. The first monument that I visited inside the town is the Chaubara. This is right in the middle of a densely populated area and the traffic that flows somehow reduces a tourist’s interest towards it. However, it was one of the important monuments of the time.

This cylindrical tower is built where two principal thoroughfares of Bidar cross each other. One of them extends from the Fort to the Fateh Darwaza, and the other connects Mangalpet to the Shah Gunj Darwaza. The tower is reported to have built in the pre-Islamic period, but its style of architecture is Islamic, and it was probably constructed as an observation post simultaneously with the other fortifications of the town by Ahmed Shah Wali or his immediate successors. The tower rises 71 feet above ground level and from the top commands a view of the entire area and also the low lands stretching beyond in every direction. The prefix “Chau” in Hindi as well as Persian signifies the four directions, while “bara” in Persian means a fortified place where it means a house in Hindi. The entire structure is most massively built and its shape resembles that of the towers of some of the early mosques of Western Asiatic Countries, notably that of the great mosque at Samarra. The only difference is that the steps leading to the top of the Samarra tower are built along the outer surface of the structure, whereas its counterpart in Bidar has the steps built in its interior.

The tower has a circular base, 180 feet in circumference and 16 feet 9 inches in height., with arched niches built along its lower parts. These may have been occupied by the guards who kept watch here, or resorted to  by pedestrians when taking short rests during journeys. The front of the base is disfigured by a police station for a short period, however it was taken down later exposing the full façade of the monument. Simultaneously with the building of the police station, a large clock was installed on the top of the tower. This clock, being somewhat incongruous was removed for some time but now it reappears. This is the plight of some of the monuments of India where either locals or the government departs do not strive to keep their sanctity.

The steps which lead to the terrace of the basement start from a door which faces east. The girth of the tower at the terrace level is 114 feet and a space has been left all around it to enable visitors to walk around on foot. However, today the entry to the top is barred to everyone. At this level, there is a winding staircase comprising 80 steps which leads to the top of the tower. The summit is 53 feet above the basement. The entire tower is built of black trap masonry laid in lime and strengthened by circular bands at two places in its height. The dimensions of the tower are no doubt colossal, but pillars of this shape are frequently to be noticed in Islamic buildings of the 14th and 15th centuries in India. We can find pillars like these in the Feroz Shah Kotla Mosque in Delhi, Mubarak Khalji’s mosque in Daulatabad and the Bahmani Idgah in Bidar. The staircase of the tower has an arch shaped vaulted ceiling which is not to be found in pre-Islamic constructions. The tower has four rectangular openings pierced in its walls to let in light and air.

A remarkable monument of this kind is commonly found in most of the cities where there was a Mohammedan rule. I then moved on to one of the most famous monuments of Bidar, the Madrasa of Mohammed Gawan.

Before proceeding further, we will understand how was the city of Bidar during the Bahmani rule.

The city of Bidar, during its initial days must have been of vast extent. A modern writer referring to the rapidity of its erection says “Soon, as if by magic, rose, some miles to the north of Gulbarga, one of the most splendid cities of India or of the world. The great mosque of Ahmedabad Bidar was for centuries unequalled for its simple grandeur and solemnity, and the most delicate beauties of the Ivory mosque, inlaid with gems and mother-o-pearl, was long of the favorite themes with which travelers delighted to illustrate the wealth and prodigality of the realms of the Far East.

Athanasius Nitikin, a Russian Armenian, who visited Bidar in 1470 AD gives a descriptive account. There were villages in short distances and the land was well tilled. The roads were well guarded and travelling secure. The King, with an army of 3,00,000 is well equipped. Artillery is not mentioned but there were many elephants, to the trunks of which scythes were attached in action, and they were clad in bright steel armor. When Aurangazeb invested the city in 1656, the city was described as 4500 yards in circumference, having three deep ditches 25 yards wide and 15 yards deep, cut in the stone.

Monsieur Thevenot, who visited Bidar in 1667 mentions brick walls with battlements and at certain distances, towers on which long cannons are mounted whose mouth is 3 foot wide. He met the then Governor and mentions that “he was carried, and before him marched several men on foot, carrying blew banners with flames of Gold and after them came seven elephants. The Governor’s palanquin was followed with several others full of women.” The walls and defenses were actually constructed during the time of Ali Barid in the years 1555-1558 and later extended and strengthened by a Bijapur Governor Sidi Marjan.

The defenses comprise a glacis, a moat and a scarp. The battlements are loopholed for the use of muskets and guns which can be fired at various angles depending on the approach of the enemy. The total number of bastions is thirty seven and in addition, there are eight batteries on which are placed smaller pieces of artillery. The town can be entered by six gateways, the Shah Gunj Darwaza, The Fateh Darwaza, The Mangalpet Darwaza, The Dulhan Darwaza, The Talghat Darwaza and the Sharzah Darwaza. . The Fateh Gate bears a Persian inscription to the effect that it was constructed by the Subedar of Bidar in 1671 AD. The gate was named so by Aurangazeb when his army marched through it triumphantly in 1656 AD and it was previously called the Nauras Darwaza by Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur. The Shah Gunj gate was constructed in the year previous and it was earlier called the Mecca Darwaza as it faces Mecca. The Talghat gate was constructed in the same year as Fateh. The Sharzah or Lion gate, which is decorated with effigies of Lions cut in the stone buttresses of the gateway was erected in 1682 AD. The Dulhan Darwaza appears to have been rebuilt in recent times, but its wooden door is still missing, and there are, besides, no battlements on the roof of the gateway.

Today Bidar is a busy city all through. However, the best part is it has not lost the royal flavor. The Bidri Ware is still being practiced where there is no other art equal in the world.

References:

1. History of the Decca by J.D.B. Gribble

2. Bidar – Its History and Monuments by Ghulan Yazdani