Musafir

This is by far the most difficult post to write as it took one long month for me to gather information. The place is in ruins and it is very difficult to identify easily. However, referring to my pictures and the content that I studied, we could relate. This building was also called the Jali Mahal on account of some screens of trellis work which were visible in the early 19th century. Unfortunately, you cannot find trace of them today. The Archeological Department of Hyderabad conducted extensive excavations then and it has disclosed not only the plan of the building but also the architectural and decorative features. Most of the decorative stuff has been removed and stored in museums. 

This building is situated to the west of the Zanana enclosure and is approached by a road which proceeds from the former. The outer wall of the Diwani-i-Am is preserved up to a considerable height on the southern side but it raises only to a few feet on the other three sides. It has two entrances to east and west but they do not face each other. The earlier excavations have exposed the original pavement of the eastern entrance, but the masonry of its outer and inner gateways, which must have comprised large blocks of carved stones, has all disappeared.

Passing through the entrance, we approach the court of the building which measures 166x133 feet in dimensions. The latter is divided into two parts. The principal hall of the building, which was probably used for public audiences is on the southern side and is approached by five steps from the pavement. The hall is divided into three apartments by rows of pillars, six in each row. The total length of the hall is 109 feet. These pillars of the hall were probably of wood, and they have all perished. The stone pedestals on which the wooden shafts rested are, however intact. The walls of the hall were originally decorated with panels of tile-work, some of them which have survived and currently being restored in museums. The colors of these tiles faded, for the tiles have reminded buried in debris for a number of years. It is said that two of these tiles were moved to a mosque in Bidar initially and later to a museum in Britain.

One of the panels had a calligraphic text in the form of Swastika containing the name of “Ali”, the son in law of Prophet Mohammed, repeated four times in the Kufic script. These tiles were probably made by Persian craftsmen, for artists and technicians of the latter country were much patronized by the Bahmanis. The ceiling of the hall may again have been of wood. In the hall was placed the Takth-i-Firoza, Turquoise throne. At the back of the hall remains of a room may be noticed, the middle one may have been for the King. The floor had mosaic design comprising geometrical patterns such as hexagons and stars. There are two more rooms behind the King’s chamber, probably belonging to the ministers. The remains of walls in the south indicate an upper storey which had an arched screen built along its sides.

We now visit the Takth Mahal or the Royal Palace.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Gagan Mahal was a name commonly given. In fact, there are buildings with the same name in Anegondi (Hampi), Bijapur, Mudgal as well. Aptly named the Heavenly Palace, it was originally built by the Bahmanis and later altered by the Baridi rulers, notably the northern wing and the upper apartments of the southern wing. This monument is also out of reach to visitors and the information given is provided by eye witnesses when it was open to public.

The palace has two courts, the outer apparently used by the male staff and the guards. Its entrance is behind the Solah Khamb mosque. On the southern side of the court is a series of rooms and halls build in rows one behind the other.  Is is said that one the inside, there are arched entrances to all these rooms which were decorated with stucco and tile work.

There were arcades on either side of the long inner court, the remains of which may be seen today. The arcades to the north have been merged to the basement of the Tarkash Mahal which was built at a later date than the Gagan Mahal. The eastern and western parts have openings into the court which is said to have shown a nice proportion. In the ground floor, is an open space in the form of a pavement. There is a doorway through the pavement which leads to a double hall divided into six bays. At the back of this double hall is a narrow pavement with recessed windows opening on the moat which is all around the fort.

As a residential complex, the Gagan Mahal was aptly designed and decorated for a King with the queens harem. There is a terrace going up which commands a good view of the neighboring buildings. This terrace is also currently blocked.

The name Tarkash probably is given because the monument was built for the Turkish wife of the king, but a general conventionality is observed in giving names to the royal buildings. The names Tarkash Mahal and Gagan Mahal are mentioned in records of kingdoms like Bijapur and Golkonda as well. The rulers of the contemporary dynasties vied with one another in the glory of the architectural works and chose to have the same names for their palaces.

The Tarkash Mahal at Bidar may have originally built by the Bahmanis but the upper parts are definitely built during the Baridi rule (the decorative emblem of the Baridi Kingdom is to be seen in the upper levels of the building). As on today, there is no access to the inner parts of the building owing to the pitiable conditions of the ruins but I shall talk about how it was earlier. The uppermost apartments are reached by a flight of steps which also lead to the roof of of the Solah Khamb Mosque. The roof of these apartments has fallen down but the walls are more or less intact which give a general idea of the plan of the building. In the middle is a hall with arched openings and was beautifully decorated with tiles and stucco work. The roof of the hall has fallen and originally there was another apartment above it, the remains of which in the shape of two arches can still be see as you see in the above picture. They too also decorated with stucco work.

There are smaller rooms on either side of the middle hall which was once decorated with encaustic tiles of which, we can still find some traces. The middle level rooms were earlier occupied by the court of the local officer. There are traces of an old parapet on the second level which suggests that the third level was built at a later time. On the ground level, the rooms were once used as storage for sundry articles and sometimes of ammunition. In fact, rockets were found in the early nineteenth century. This building has numerous halls like these.

There is another building to the east of this which is also called the Tarkash Mahal, but it is in a very ruined condition. From the present remains, it can be made out that it had two storeys and that the upper level may have been occupied by the royal ladies. The architecture is clearly of the Baridi dynasty and so it can be assumed that this building is kind of an extension of the other Tarkash Mahal we had seen earlier.

Both these names have been given in comparatively recent times, as this building is situated in the Zanana enclosure and as it has sixteen columns in the middle part of the prayer hall, which was screened off from the rest of the building when it fell into ruins. Its original name was Masjid-i-Jami, and the Friday Prayers and State functions where held here. It was built in the 1423 AD by the Sultan Mohammed Shah, the son of the first Bahmani ruler Ahmed Shah Wali.  The year is recorded in an inscription that was found when the ASI was clearing the debris. The mosque can definitely be considered the earliest Muslim building in the city of Bidar.

Even though the length of the building is around 310 feet from north to south, it looks flat and monotonous owing to its short height. There is a beautiful parapet above the arches but the effect is completely lost when seen from near. The pillars on the outside are square and the internal are round. The row of columns inside divide the prayer hall into 95 bays. Nine middle bays is occupied by a hall which is crowned by a majestic dome.

Access to the inside of the mosque is unavailable with iron doors been fitted at the arches. However, it is said that on the inside is an arrangement of a series of arched windows which are filled with tracery. It, like the painted glass windows in cathedrals adds to the interior beauty of the prayer hall. To the western wall, is a pentagonal niche, entered by a hall of fine proportions. The niche points in the direction of the Kaba .The niche, technically called the mihrab, also marks the place of the Imam who conducts the prayers. The roof of the remaining part of the prayer hall comprises a series of smaller domes which are visible at the top but concealed from view by the parapet. The inside of the mosque is dark owing to the other two big buildings in the same vicinity which were constructed later. We will talk about these in the further posts. It is said that there is a water reservoir on the roof of the mosque from which water flowed to the cisterns in the ground floor.

The mosque has been repaired very well in recent years as earlier it was mostly rubble with cracks on the ceiling and floor. The building although one of the largest in India, suffers by comparison with its contemporary in Mandu or its predecessor at Gulbarga. The only pleasing feature is the middle hall crowned by the large dome.

The road near the north eastern corner of the Shahi Matbakh enters through an arch in the enclosure of the Royal Bathing place. The building was used as the Civil Court till early nineteenth century, but again with the efforts  by Ghulam Yazdani was handed over to the ASI. The round pillars that you see are added during the occupation by the Civil Court.

Behind the corridor is a double hall with 5 bays in each half. The divisions are arranged by arches, which again is a typical feature of the Bahmani constructions. The middle part of the building was apparently used as a waiting hall. The intermediate hall is the dressing place which consists of three apartments. The original roof fell down in late eighteenth century and was reconstructed. Beyond this was a single domed chamber. The dadoes of this chamber is said to have once adorned with tiles, but now only the stone margins indicating the outlines of the tiles are to be seen.

It is said that the plan of the innermost hall consists of a middle apartment which is broad enough to for accommodations of the bathing assistants, who filled the cold and hot tanks continuously. There are other retiring rooms which were also used for other social purposes. The ceiling of these rooms was vaulted, being divided into compartments. The exterior of the building is conspicuous, perhaps owing to the alterations done. On the roof was originally a parapet representing overlapping arches. As this design is generally of the Baridi style, it can be assumed that the Hammam was constructed either in the later Bahmani or the Baridi time. Portions of this parapet still exist in some places.

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.

Continued from the previous post…

The royal pavilion is also of small dimensions, the main room square and plain. It has windows on the east and west and a pentagonal projection towards the south. There are also projections in the corners which give a look of a star shaped medieval Deccan temple. The beauty of the room lies in its rich decorations and mother-of-pearl work and tile mosaics. The former is fairly intact in the entrance arch, which is built of basalt of a very dark variety. The floral patterns and calligraphic texts have been depicted by inlaying mother-of-pearl of the finest quality. The effect is lovely and is further enhanced by the architect’s choice of the verses which he has inserted in the decorative scheme. 

The pavilion once had a fountain in the middle, the basin on which is now lying in the outer court of the palace between the two flights of steps referred to in the previous post. Like the Mughal kings, the Baridis were also fond of fountains and it can be noticed in laying of waterworks in many of their buildings.

The Rangin Mahal, however beautiful its wood carving and fascinating are its tiles and mother-of-peal work, suffers by the smallness of its dimensions and shows a lack of vision on the part of the builders. But the plan of the structure is so much altered at various periods, that it is difficult to visualize in its original form or to appraise correctly its beauty or defects.

In the basement of the Rangin Mahal there is a series of rooms, which were apparently occupied by guards and the menial servants of the palace. The ceilings of these rooms are vaulted, being massively built with a view to supporting the weight of the royal apartments above.

Rangin Mahal literally means “The Colored Palace”, and this name was apparently given to it on account of its walls being originally decorated with tiles of different hues, traces of which still exist.   It was originally built by Mahmud Shah Bahmani and some of the apartments were rebuilt by Ali Barid Shah, who adorned them with wood carving and mother of pearl works. In modern times, this has been used by the local administration, and several portions have been built which not only mar the general appearance of the building, but makes it difficult to trace its original plan. Today, it is completely barred from entrance and is opened only for dignitaries.

I badly wanted to visit this building right from when I started planning for the trip. I visited the local ASI office which is inside the Fort and asked for permission, which was obviously turned down. My cab driver came to my rescue. We had chosen a time in the morning even before the ASI office opens. There were two ASI workers doing some maintenance work. My driver went over them and talked in such a way that I was an important visitor and wanted to see the place. They gave up after some persuasion. This incident always make me laugh. There is no detailed information about this building over the internet and i am writing this post after a lot of study and comparing with my pictures.

Access to the building is now obtained by two flights of steps which lead to a landing from which, by passing through some rooms, the interior of the palace is reached. One of the rooms opens on a verandah which is modern  but there are two halls at the back which are of the Bahmani period. To the south of this hall, there is another which was originally connected by an opening in the wall. This hall also seems to be from the Bahmani period, and may have been added by Mahmud Shah.

From the court, a view of the upper walls may be had. These were once richly adorned with tile work arranged in arch shaped rectangular panels as you see in the picture above. The color scheme now visible consists of white patterns on a dark blue background. They must have contained others colors also, however due to extreme weather conditions, they totally faded. The designs consists of floral and calligraphic texts exhibiting a highly developed technique and refined taste. The court has a water channel with fountains and a cistern in the middle.

At the southern end of the court is a hall and pavilion built by Ali Barid. The hall originally had two apartments, each containing five bays. The divisions are arranged by means of columns, which are of wood and most beautifully carved. The designs are both Hindu and Muslim. An interesting feature is presented by the ornamental arches. The ceiling of this wooden hall is also extremely beautifully carved.  The walls of the hall were originally decorated with tile work which unfortunately has been destroyed in the course of repairs done in the recent times, but specimens of it may be seen in the spandrels of the doorway which leads to the royal pavilion. This doorway is built at the back of the hall and consist of two arches, one on the outer side and the other inside, with a passage between them. The outer arch is a little larger in size. This arch has a black stone moulding (of rope pattern type) above the imposts, while below are tiny shafts elegantly carved. In the spandrels are lovely floral designs worked out on tiles, and above the doorway is a Persian verse inscribed on the same. The inner arch of the doorway is decorated with mother-of-pearl work, which, inlaid in jet black stone, appears all the more brilliant. Beyond this arch is a square room which served as an antechamber between the royal pavilion and the hall. This room was also once richly decorated with tiles, which are to be seen now only in some places. The designs are floral, with pink, green, blue and yellow colors – all arranged and contrasted most tastefully. The room besides leading to the royal pavilion, has two more rooms attached to it.

To be continued…

The first look of the fort itself created a lot of curiosity to explore. As I walked through the gateways, I imagined soldiers guarding the gateways and on watch above and on the sides.. As I mentioned in the previous post, there were cannons on each of the 37 bastions ready to fire at any angle. Some of the bastions are most massively built, and they are generally round of octagonal in shape. The parapets are honeycombed with enclosures providing facilities for firing muskets as well as cannon, both at short and long range.

The walls near the main entrance appear to have been breached and rebuilt. The old portions consist of large blocks of stone laid in lime, but the joints are so fine that lime is not visible. The stone is believed to have been bought from the quarries in the Gulbarga district. In front of the first gate of the main approach there was originally a draw bridge over the moat, but the moat was later filled up for the construction of the road.

The first gateway, called the Mandu Darwaza is somewhat weak in its appearance. It has an inscription carved on a metal tablet that it is built in 1683 by the Mughal Commandant, Mukhtar Khan Al-Hussaini. The height of this door up to the top of the parapet is 36 feet while the entrance arch is 19 feet high. The two small turrets in front of the parapet are later additions The door is fitted with spikes to secure against elephant attacks As you can see in this picture, the passage through the doorway is vaulted and is divided into two compartments by an arch built in the middle of the passage. Beyond the first Mandu Darwaza, there is a courtroom and an other gateway. The Mandu Darwaza thus serves the purpose of a barbican for the second. The court has rooms for guards on either side.

The second gateway is called the Sharza Darwaza, on account of the effigies of two tigers carved on its façade. Such effigies are often found in the forts of the Deccan and their presence apparently signifies the belief that the representations in this form make the building safe from the attacks of the enemy. The Sharza Darwaza is of larger dimensions than the first gateway, the height of the entrance arch being 22 feet. The top of the gateway was originally decorated with a beautiful parapet of trefoil design, the face of which is adorned with encaustic tiles of blue and green patterns tastefully relieved with yellow and white bands. The tile work has decayed considerably, but wherever its intact the colors are extremely fresh and charming.

Below this parapet is a long panel of black stone covering the entire forehead of the gateway and containing an inscription which records the building of the gateway. in 1503 AD. during the reign of Mahmud Shah Bahmani, by Saif Khan Kotwalbek. The style of writing is Thulth, but the letters have been so intertwined that the whole looks like a lace design. There were other inscriptions on the side bastions but most of them perished as they were inscribed on tiles. A few pieces which are intact show that they were in white with deep blue background.

The Sharza Darwaza has a naqar khana (music gallery) in its upper parts, of which the entrance room is rectangular in plan from which the main apartments of the music gallery can be reached. These are three in number and the side apartments have semi octagonal projections which are pierced by tiny windows and thick iron doors. To keep up the old military traditions of the fort, till 1920 music was still played from this gallery four times a day at the beginning of each watch. I crossed this gateway and moved further.

What is saw next is unforgettable… 

Chaukandi is a compound Hindi word, meaning a four storeyed building. Although the building itself is double storeyed, the term has been applied as it is situated at a high ground and reached by a flight of steps. Hadrat Khalil-Ullah was the son of Shah Nimat Ullah Kirmani, and as mentioned in of the posts, the former came over from his native place to Bidar in 1431 AD during the reign of Allauddin Shah Wali Bahmani and his sons were married to the royal princesses.

The Chaukhandi has three graves in the main vault and several others in the corridor. The tomb is approached from the road which goes from the Dulhan Darwaza to the Bahmani tombs. To approach the outer gateway of the tomb, the visitor has to ascend a flight of steps and walk across a long pavement which has intermediate steps. There is a pleasing façade at the end of the pavement, comprising of an arch in the middle and a parapet of trefoil pattern at the top of the wall. The arch has a stilt at the top showing Persian influence. There is a panel with medallions of stucco work and contains the names of Allah, Mohammed and Ali written in the Kufic script but arranged in the Tughra style.

Just outside the gateway, there is a hall to the left which is barred for entrance. It has three arches and its ceiling is divided into three compartments built across its width, each compartment containing a vault. The upper hall of this building was originally used by musicians, who played on trumpets and drums at the four watches to maintain the ceremonial dignity of the shrine. Passing through the gateway, the visitor has to ascend some steps to reach the passage. On either side of the passage at this stage are a large number of graves belonging to Shah Khalil-Ullah and his successors. From here, there are again a fleet of stairs after which we reach the building.

The Chaukandi appears to have been designed by the same architect who planned the tomb of Sultan Allauddin, for there is much in common in the decorative schemes between the two. However, their ground plans are different as the Chaukandi is octagonal unlike the other which is square. The walls of the Chaukandi were originally decorated with encaustic tiles, the trace of which are found only in a few places. Black stone borders have been done for the this tomb as well as we had seen on the tomb of Sultan Allauddin. There are arches on two levels which is again a similarity of the two buildings. The walls are built of black trap masonry laid in lime and they are very massive in construction.

The interior of the tomb is approached by a covered passage from the arch facing South. The tomb of the saint, which is built in the middle of the interior of the Chaukandi, as a square plan externally and an octagonal plan internally. The walls are decorated with stucco work both inside and outside. In later times, separate vaults have been built for the graves of the descendants of Shah Khalil-Ullah, one of which is attached to the Chaukandi itself and and may be noticed in the form of a projection to the east of the passage. Over the doorway of this vault the date of 1675 AD. is carved which show that it was built after the conquest of Bidar by Aurangzeb in 1658. Inside the vault, there are 9 graves. The beautiful inscription in the Thulth style if writing which beings from the main doorway of the Chaukandi is continued till the inner corridors. It was designed by a calligraphist of Shiraz named Mughith.

To the east of the Chaukandi, until some 70 years ago, stood a tomb which has since perished completely, but photographs of its exterior and interior were fortunately taken by the Archaeological Department in 1917. It was not of large dimensions but had distinctive decorative features which made the building picturesque.

The Chaukandi, apart from its lofty position, which has made it a prominent feature in the panorama of Bidar, possesses certain architectural merits placing the monument among the best constructions of the Bahmani period. It is now denuded of much of its splendor, but its stately arches, neat carving, and magnificent calligraphy and artwork show the highest quality of Bahmani architecture, which probably reached during the reign of Sultan Allauddun, whose own tomb as similar decorative features as the Chaukandi.

The next in line is the tomb of Sultan Nizam Shah, which is to the west of Humayun’s. The thought of a tomb to Nizam Shah was probably his mother’s as the Sultan was just eight when he became the ruler and ruled only for two years. The tomb is left incomplete due to the demise of the queen mother a few years later. Though small, the walls of this tomb rise to a height of 25 feet from ground level. The external dimensions are the same as the other royal tombs. It is very likely that the architect had initially planned a dome as the structure is massive enough to withstand the load. The exterior of the tomb towards the south has a large arch in the middle which forms the entrance.

Next is the tomb of Sultan Muhammed Shah III, entitled Lashkari which is also incomplete. The reason could be even if he ruled for nineteen years, he was merely a puppet in the hands of the queen mother and the two ministers, Khwaja Jahan Turk and Mahmud Gawan. His tomb is almost similar to that of Nizam Shah except that the dimensions of the arches vary a little. It is possible that it had been designed by the same architect. There are three graves inside and one of them must have belonged to Muhammed Shah’s wife.

The title Malika-E-Jahan is commonly given to the queen consorts during the Bahmani and subsequent dynasties when they ruled, but here it specifically refers to the wife of Sultan Humayun who played a very important role in Deccan politics during the reign of her minor sons, Nizam Shah and Muhammed Shah III. She retired from State affairs and devoted to religious activities once Muhammed Shah was of age. The Malika’s tomb is a little smaller than that of her husband and two sons. With respect to ornamentation, it has good stucco work which gives a pleasing look. There are four graves below the vault and the one right in the middle of the vault is of the queen.

The tomb of Mahmud Shah Bahmani is one of the most imposing structures in the vicinity. He also ascended the throne at a tender age of twelve years. He took control of the kingdom from the de facto rule of Ministers and ruled for thirty six years and probably had his tomb built during his lifetime. His tomb also possesses all the solid dignity of the tombs of the earlier Bahmani kings but lacks in austerity for it does not either have decorative tiles on its outside or paintings inside. The walls rise to a height of 45 feet and strongly support the gigantic dome and are crowned by a parapet of 5 feet.

The enclosure walls measure 77 feet on each side and has a wide arch in the center of each wall. There are smaller arches above this arch and this is a common pattern followed all across the building. The dome has an octagonal base on the roof and its circumference at the springing point is 206 feet. The interior of the tomb is somewhat somber with light entering through windows filled with trellis work. Apart from some minor designs here and there, there is no decoration found but the tomb is consistent in its massive and spacious interiors which is a signature of the earlier Bahmani tombs.

There are two unidentified tombs in front of this one. They are supposedly of two puppet kings Ahmed Shah and Allauddin who were placed on the throne by Amir Barid in 1518 and 1521AD. Of these two sepulchers, one has a conical dome with eight facets, which are marked by plaster ribs. The interior of the tomb is square measuring only 15 feet. The walls have an arch on each side with a parapet of 2 feet above. The second sepulcher is incomplete. The walls of this building have not been plastered but traces of a tomb were noticed and the building restored by the ASI.

Now that we have completed the Bahmani tombs, we will visit the remaining monument in this place, the very famous Chaukandi.

We have seen the glorious and massive tomb of Ahmed Shah Wali in the previous post. In this post, we will visit the remaining tombs.

To the east of Ahmed Shah’s tomb, but at a lower level, is a tomb which is assigned to the wife of the king. There is no inscription on the tomb and its internal decoration has perished with its usage as a dwelling by the locals. Its architecture is similar to that of Ahmed Shah’s but considerably smaller in dimensions. It must at one time, nevertheless, have been quite imposing as its built on a platform and the walls of the tomb rise to around 28 feet above the Sultan’s own tomb. Inside, there are traces of paintings on the ceiling, but owing to neglect over the centuries, the designs have almost perished. There are five graves in this monument, of which the one at the extreme left is said to be that of Ahmed Shah’s wife.

There is another tomb to the south of Ahmed Shah Wali’s which is said to be of his son Hassan Khan. However, it is very untrue as Hassan Khan was Ahmed Shah’s nephew and was also a rival. So it is unlikely that he was buried at the royal cemetery. The tomb, in view of the above facts, probably contains the grave of one of the two princes Mahmud Khan or Daud Khan, or perhaps both, for there are eight graves inside and it could have been the family vault of Ahmed Shah. From an architectural point of view, this building is not of much importance as it is comparatively very small than the others we had seen.

The next one is the tomb of Allauddin Shah, the eldest son of Ahmed Shah Wali. This tomb probably built during his lifetime should have been magnificent in those days with the colored tiles and floral designs. Much damage has been done to the tiles due to weather and vandalism of curious visitors who plucked the tiles till where hands could reach. The specimens which are intact show pleasing floral scrolls, geometric patterns and calligraphic motifs. The principal colors used were blue, green and yellow on white background, of which yellow was used as a contrast.

The black stone margins and along the decorative panels is a distinctive characteristic of this tomb. You can find these slender black stone bands at the four corners of the tomb where walls join one another. They are not only finely polished but also carved intricately which is very pleasing. The tomb has three doorways and the ornamentation on its exterior may perhaps at one time have given the same impression of splendor and glory as is produced by the tile decorated walls of the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem. The name of the King with his title was given in the band of tiles above the southern doorway, but except the word Sultan everything else has perished.

The ceiling of the dome was originally painted, and a few fragments of them can be traced here and there. The interior of the tomb seems to have been used roughly by some uncultured people causing damage not only to the paintings, but also to the plaster on the walls. They unfortunately destroyed the sarcophagus over the grave and this has been rebuilt by the Archeological Survey of India.

Situated next to the one of Allauddin Shah, is the tomb of his son Humayun, the cruel. Probably in retaliation to his cruelty, nature showed its vengeance. The tomb was struck by a lightning in recent times and the larger part of its dome and walls have fallen down. The debris of the dome was lying inside till the 19th century after which it was cleared by the ASI. The architecture of this building, even though not much pleasing, is different from the ones constructed before, particularly in the arches. This arch construction was later predominantly used in the buildings of Adil Shahi and the Baridi dynasties.

The tomb at its base measures 77 feet on each side externally and the thickness of the walls is 13 feet. Steps are built in the thickness of the walls which lead to the roof. The tomb is entirely built of black trap masonry laid in lime, but the upper courses of the dome are built in light spongy brick which float in water. When ASI sent samples of these bricks for examination, it was found that the quality of these is far superior than those found in the Ramappa Temple in Warangal. The construction of this tomb is indeed a new experience and good information to any student of Bahmani architecture. We shall visit the remaining tombs in the next post.