Musafir

The Bidar Fort is considered as one of the most formidable forts of India. It was distinctly planned and built on the brink of the Deccan plateau by Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali between 1426 and 1432 AD. Engineers and Architects of various countries were employed on its design and construction.

When Prince Ulugh Khan (Mohammed Bin Tughlaq) conquered Bidar for the first time, there was a fort with double lines of defenses. What the form or extent of this was, is difficult to determine as of now. Tradition however says, that it occupied the western area of the present fort. The tradition is further confirmed by the words of Firishtah that Ahmed Shah Wali built the Government House (Dar-ul-Imara) at a site where the old fort of Bidar once stood. The initial fortifications that were built in 1426 were destroyed as a result of the invasion of Sultan Mohammed Khalji during the reign of Sultan Nizam Shah in 1461. However, later during the regime of Muhammad Shah Bahmani, gun powder was used for blowing up the walls by laying mines beneath them.

Improvements to the fort at a larger scale have been made during the reign of Ali Barid Shah, who mounted guns at various vulnerable points and afterwards, Mukhtar Khan Al-Hussaini, the Mughal commandant re-erected and plated and bossed in iron almost all the gates of Bidar which bear his inscription to this day. There have been no major changes since 1656 when Aurangzeb as the governor of Deccan, annexed Bidar.

The fort is an irregular rhomboid in shape with steep sides towards the north and east. On the sides where the ground was lower, a triple channel moat was excavated with partitions hewn out of rock. The moat and the glacis encircle the fort on all sides which sum up to 5.5 kilometers  of defense walls. The external defense has 37 massive polygonal bastions and 7 strong irregular rhombic shaped gates.

We will walk through the gates in the next post.

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

The great fort lies at the heart of the city. The highway in from the town of Humnabad passes right by the fort. It looks strong, though desolate. There is ample evidence of the fact that Gulbarga was born in strife and continued to endure strife. Originally built by one Raja Gulchand and later fortified by Allauddin Bahmani it has archways which serve as entrances. Though a protected monument, the fort looks chaotic and dilapidated but vast occupying an area of 74 acres and a circumference of 3 kilometers.

It consists of two levels of fortifications, the outer wall which is of a lesser height and a inner wall of considerable height. There is a 30 feet deep moat between these two walls all around the fort. The fort carries tene (or Kanguras) at regular intervals and has 15 bastions and 26 guns. It is said that these bastions once had revolving cannons mounted on top. They are removed now and placed in museums. The principal gateways on the eastern and western sides consists of pointed, arched with openings flanked by bastions, approached by bridges across the moat. There is a continuous parapet of merlons, raised over the gateways, provided with narrow openings in them, through with muskets were fired.

As I enter the fort through the entrance, all I see are ruins and a couple of intact buildings. I did not understand why this fort has been left like this without any maintenance. Most of the ruined structures are covered with plants and are very dangerous for the fear of snakes. There are some doorways which lead to the moat or to escape when in danger. The plunder of the Vijayanagar rulers is visible all around. The walls of the fort are broken in places but they still reflect the formidable stature of their past.

Here we need to talk about the cannons. Their view itself would create terror in the enemy’s heart. The most formidable of these ones which is on the top of a citadel called Bala Hisar situated right in the middle of the fort. The citadel is hewn out of black stone and has semi-circular turrets on the sides and corners. It is quite astonishing to imagine the cannon being rotate a cannon which could weigh more than 2 tons. There is another citadel which is again near to the Bala Hisar which has 4 smaller cannons on it. It must have been a very important structure considering its construction. There are a fleet of steps on two sides but the main side is good looking. It has arched entrances, parts of which are broken after the plunder.There are various smaller enclosures on the sides as we climb to the top. These probably were used to store the ammunition. From the top, they could cover all the sides of the fort with the cannons.

Apart from this, there are not much important structures inside the fort. Considering the fact that the Bahmani capital moved to Bidar after the initial years, this pitiable condition is quite understandable. Even the palace where the kings resided is nowhere to be seen. It must be part of the pile of rubble that is found all around inside. The most beautiful and important of all the monuments inside the fort is the Jama Masjid. We will talk about this in our next post.

As mentioned previously, i climbed 500 steps to reach the main entrance of the hillock. Known also as Indragiri or Vindhyagiri, this hillock locally called as Doddabetta (Big Hill) which stands at a height of 3,347 feet above sea level is fortified with a wall across its circumference. There are various shrines that one can visit before reaching the main place. The smaller hill which is opposite to this one and the big pond at the bottom of this hill look beautiful from here.

There is a small shrine to the left of the main entrance, which is called the Chavvisa (24) Tirthankara basadi raised by Charukeerthi Pandithadeva and others. It contains a stone slab with small images of all the 24 Tirthankaras. Within a short distance, there is an elevated basadi which can reached by a flight of steps. Built of granite blocks, it is impressive for the commanding position it occupies. This is called the Odegal basadi. It is so called because of the stone props against its basement. It is the only trikutachala (triple-shrine) temple at Sravanabelagola. It houses the images of Adinatha, Neminatha and Chandranatha, all carved in schist with a congregation hall common to all the three shrines. This temple is datable to the 14th century which is similar to other Jain temples constructed during the Vijayanagara period like Ganagitti Jain Temple and Parsvanatha Temple in Hampi. I did not understand why a bell is hung in a Jain basadi. Normally, all sounds except chanting are prohibited in a Jain religious place.

From the Odegal basadi, we move on to the next monument, the Tyagada Kamba. We can find many inscriptions scribbled on the raw granite floor on the way. The ASI has covered those with glass so that they cannot be damaged by tourists. All these inscriptions are recorded as part of the Epigraphia Carnatica Series in its second Volume.

One of my acquaintances recently posed two questions 1. Why would important inscriptions be made on random, uneven rocks? My guess is that normally any inscriptions commissioned by ruler will have well-setup slabs. Because these constructions were not officially funded by the ruler and commissioned by officials and generals, they were scribbled on the floor by the masons so that they can still name the person who commissioned them. 2. The protecting glass on top of them is a mere eye-wash, as rain-water etc. can still flow from underneath.. My perception is rain water, if it falls directly on the rock can cut the stone damaging the inscription. But here, the damage can be far less than normal as the water passes underneath the glass. Now back to business.

Tyagada Kamba is a small, open pavilion with an upper storey and his historically important. It was installed by Chavundaraya who himself commissioned the Gommata statue here. In the centre of the pavilion is a 11 feet long elaborately carved pillar which is unmatched in its artistic beauty. It was probably erected in the late 10th Century. It is believed that Chavundaraya distributed gifts to the needy and deserving from here, hence the name Tygada Kamba. Another view is he renounced his worldly possessions including his life from here. The simple scroll designs, elegant workmanship, and bold lines bring out the best of the Ganga architecture. The original inscription at the base of the pillar was erased in about 1200 AD by Heggade Kanna and installed the Yaksha image on top of this pillar after which, got a record engraved at its pedestal. Some 500 years later, an upper mantapa was built in brick and mortar.

From the Tygada Kamba starts the second series of 140 steps which lead to the inner complex. After climbing some steps from the Tyagada Kamba, we stand before the Akhanda Bagilu or the monolith gateway. It has a Gajalakshmi panel above the lintel, where Goddess Lakshmi is seated on a lotus flanked by two elephants who anoint the goddess with pots held with their trunks. The relief sculptures of crocodiles and lions form the upper part of the panel. This is one of the finest and largest reliefs of Gajalakshmi in the country - undoubtedly the best of the Ganga craftsmanship. While the doorway is assignable to 980 AD. the two cells at its side were added around 1130 AD. by Bharathamayya, a general of the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. The two relief sculptures in the cells represent Bharatha and Bahubali. Both the smaller shrines are locked.

There are two more doorways between the steps. The pillars of one of them is carved with Tirthankaras and musicians. There are dwarapalas on either side which is an example of Hindu architectural influence. The second doorway is the one you see in the picture. It has 4 pillars and figures of elephants are sketched on either side. The lintel of the doorway is carved with Tirthankara and Yaksha figures. Just outside this doorway you will find a image of a crocodile on the left which is a signature sculpture of Vijayanagara architecture. After crossing this doorway, we reach the upper complex.

My next destination was again to a temple which is in a remote village, which is approachable by a muddy uneven road and there is no proper public transport. So it is advisable to rent a vehicle. I travelled almost 5 kilometres from the main road to reach this small village.

At the end of the village, there is a small structure. Looks like the age old construction was totally gone and remaining is the sanctum. A new structure was being constructed enclosing the sanctum.

Chennakesava (Allalanatha) is the presiding deity in this very ordinary temple. The image is about 18ft tall, made out of black stone, bearing a conch (Sankha), wheel (Chakra) and mace. The uniquely exquisite facial expression of the idol captivates the mind and heart of the spectator.

A different thing that is seen here is the unrestricted access to devotees inside the sanctum. There is a loft that one can climb to perform the Abhisheka from the top. There is a large lake nearby this temple which serves as a nice boating experience. Apart from this, there is nothing more to see in this area. I was there just for 10 minutes and moved ahead to my next destination, the Iswara Temple in Arsikere. On the way, i passed an another temple (the picture on the right) but am unable to identify the place. If anyone can, please let me know.

There are fortified walls in the village of Haranahalli, 8 kms from Arsikere. This fort is said to have been erected in the year 1070 A.D by a chief named Someswara Nayak. Now, it is in a pitiable condition. Some parts of the walls have collapsed and the stones can be found as the construction material for houses nearby.  The inside of this structure is filled with bushes and human secretion. Obviously, it is being used as a public toilet and a dumping ground by the locals. Somehow i went inside bearing all the stench. There is a small plain mantapa in one corner inside the fort. The government has to do something about this and clear the area so that excavations can happen to see if something can be found. Finding no more in this area, i moved ahead..

Watching the entrance from a distance gives us an amazing feeling that we are about to move to the past. The entrance to the fort is huge with massive walls and bastions.  

The fort walls are constructed of massive granite stones and are still very intact. Earlier,  the fort walls were decorated with beautiful designs on brick and plaster but they all were destroyed during the invasions. A few plaques are remaining here and there. Thick bushes grew on the top of the wall and unreachable; Otherwise there is ample space for soldiers to mount them and keep and eye. The entrances to the fort used to be protected by stone doors then and we only see the opening without the doors now.  Three protective layers ensure the protection of what was once the inner precincts and centre of power.We passed through the walls to the Swayambhu Temple.

The Swayambhu temple is a very small temple which may seem like very insignificant but it was a very important place of worship then. There is a Siva Linga inside which is said to have emerged itself from the ground. There is a Nandi bull of 4 feet in height which sits elegantly in front of the temple. The bull is carved with nice designs on it depicting the craftsmanship of the era. There are various idols that are placed all around the temple. Some art works are also strewn here and there as you see in the picture. They are collected from other temples in the area which were razed down during the invasion.

Watching all these we feel nostalgic and reminds us of the good old days that the place had seen. It is quite sad that those masterpieces had to bear the brunt of human jealousy and greed.

To be continued…

We all have heard about the stories of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and Rani Kittur Chennamma of Belgaum, Karnataka who fought against the British Empire. We however do that know Rani Rudramba (also known as Rudrama Devi), who ruled a mighty Kingdom 600 years before the above mentioned and she was only fourteen when she took the kingdom in her hands.

This is the glorious story of the Kakatiya dynasty which flourished for 400 years and vanished without a trace. The only remains left now are two world famous temples, some broken idols, a barren fort and numerous stories and legends about the rulers.

The story of the Kakatiya dynasty and its rulers are well known to the people of Andhra Pradesh as we all read about them during our schooling. The picture you  see here, is one of the Kirtimukhatorana (the royal entrance) and this is the icon which all identifies the dynasty with.

The trip to this place was planned in a short time. It was just a one day trip, so did not require much of a planning. One of my friends, Ramana came along as he was also interested to visit the place. We started from home in his car, parked it in the Railway station and caught the Warangal Express. It was a quick journey of 2.5 hrs and we reach Warangal at around 9 in the morning. We had breakfast and set off to visit the fort.

Lets talk about the history of Warangal for a while.

The early history of Warangal is not known. Some historians regard them as Suryavamsi Kshatriyas, while some others connect them to Icchakuas of Andhra Pradesh. They are in some versions connected to the Sudra dynasty. These opinions are based on some inscriptions found in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The Kakatiyas ruled in Telangana as subsidiaries of the Chalukyan kings. After the decline of the Chalukyas, they declared independence and moved their capital from Hanumakonda to Warangal.

Warangal and Hanumakonda as legend goes is linked with the dynasties of Great Vishnukundins and even prior to it also of the Buddhist periods of Indian History. Warangal is also known as Orugallu (Oru means one and Kallu means stone), and Ekasila Nagaram (a city made out of a single stone). From the middle of the 12th Century up to two hundred years, this area is ruled by the Kakatiyas or Ganapathis  making Warangal as Capital City.

Prolaraja is supposed to be the earliest kings of Kakatiyas. Rudra and Mahadeva succeeded as kings after Prolaraja. There after Ganapati became the king. Ganapati ruled for 62 years

Ganapati ruled for all total 62 years. Ganapati declared his daughter Rudramba as his successor. She had already been helping him in the administration of the kingdom. Ganapati was succeeded by his daughter Rudramba. In her early reign, she remained busy in the struggle with the neighbouring king.

It appears that Rudramba was succeeded by Pratapdeva who ruled for 4 years. No significant event took place during his reign. He was succeeded by his son Pratapa  Rudradeva, who was a very powerful ruler. A famous scholar named Vaidyanatha wrote `Prataprudriy`, which has immortalized Pratapa Rudradeva, who  is famous for his efficient administration.

The invasion of the Muslims was the chief cause of the decline of the Kakatiya dynasty. Rudradeva was attacked and defeated by Malik Kafur. Thereafter Bahmani Sultan Ahmad Shah conquered and occupied the kingdom of the Kakatiyas. Bahmani Sultanate later broke up into several smaller sultanates, of which the Golconda sultanate ruled Warangal. One of the branches of this dynasty ruled for some more time in Baster.

With the history of the place known, we enter the fort.

To be continued…

The Queen’s Bath is located to the southeast of the royal enclosure, with its own separated enclosed space, consisting of a complex of changing rooms and a bath. At present only the bath is extant. A strikingly, simple facaded structure, in the Indo-Islamic style of Vijayanagara architecture, the interior of the bath is total contrast, with its ornate stucco and plaster work.

The structure is 30 sq.mts., with a 15 sq.mts. bath inside, which is 1.8 mts. deep. Pillared and vaulted corridors run all around., with ornate balconies projecting into the bath. There is a water channel inlet to the East, and a moat that runs all around the structure that ensured a constant supply of fresh water. There are steps leading down to the floor of the bath to the North, and the remnants of four pillars in the centre, which probably supported a pavilion.

Looking at the Queen’s bath, we can imagine how it must have looked at its glory. The balconies would have been decorated with beautiful curtains and guarded heavily from outside. The water inside should have been of nice fragrances and filled with rose petals.  We then move to the Chandrasekhara Temple which is at a distance from the main road.

Chandrasekhara Temple: This is a double shrined temple of typical Dravida style datable to 16th century, AD. The Garbhagrihas are located to the west and north, each has an Antarala and an Ardhamantapa which opens into a common Sabhamantapa at east and south. There is a Mukhamantapa open on three sides. The basement is decorated with Tripatta Kumuda moulding. The walls are gracefully adorned with Kumbha Panjaras. There are two terraced brick-mortar super structures over the sanctums. There is also a Devi shrine facing south in the complex, which is similar to the above two shrines. 

The temple complex has a spacious courtyard with Prakara and a main entrance with a Gopura from east. The Gopura is well sculpted with dancing girls and good designs. Other than that, there is not much of craftsmanship in this temple and all the sculptures are very raw and unpolished. But the complex is big and it was probably one of the most visited temples in those days.

Then there is the Octagonal Water Pavilion which was used to provide water to the nearby buildings and temples. There is a Saraswathi temple which is in a bad shape now and also we can find some basements of big buildings which were of importance, probably offices of the various departments. 

We now move leave the village of Hampi for some time and move to the town of Kamalapur which houses the famous museum and some very beautiful temples.

The Royal enclosure, the nucleus of the capital city of Vijayanagara is the largest extant enclosures in the ancient city occupying an area of 59,000 sq.mts. and protected by lofty double walls. The enclosure had housed as many as forty three buildings.

The enclosure has three entrances, two on the north and one on the west. The northern entrance east of  the Audience Hall was the main entrance with well - guarded massive doorways arranged zig-zag on plan. The other northern entrance with flight of steps near Mahanavami Dibba platform had a doorway with exquisitely carved monolithic temple type door flaps. The western entrance leads to a passage that connects Hazararama temple on the north.

Entering the enclosure through the northern main entrance, there is a neatly plastered open courtyard and a pillared hall leading to a well decorated hall. To the south of this hall is the underground secret council chamber. To the southwest of the secret chamber was the Kings residence with as many as nine chambers including a Pooja room.

To the west and northeast of the residence were many structures. It is interesting to note that a flight of steps used to lead from a chamber to the first floor of the King’s audience hall.

To the east of the palace complex is the sacred area including a large open courtyard with well plastered floor, accommodating at the center a Homa Kunda and a tank. The two structures with a decorative plinth on the south of the sacred area were the residences of queens. 

The long rectangular pillared halls in a row arranged in units of two separated by a wide avenue on the south of the Palace complex were probably the residences of the people working in the palace complex. Water was bought to this enclosure from an external source through a main aqueduct running in the middle feeds 23 small and big tanks in the enclosure.

The so-called Public Bath located at the south eastern corner is the largest tank in the enclosure. However the most ornamental of the tanks is the Stepped tank located north of the public bath. Every ornamental member of this tank bears a mason mark indicating the exact location of the member in the construction. There is another “T” shaped tank in front of the Mahanavami Dibba platform. There is also a well in the enclosure.

As we move on towards the Royal Enclosure, we start seeing old palace basements and towers. We feel a bit of emptiness as we move here. The buildings that once stood elegantly are no longer there. They are barren, filled with bushes and partly unexcavated.

Guard Tower: The first monument that comes across is the guard tower. The tower is in a typical Mohammadean architecture and still intact. It is built with stone and from its top, one can keep a watch on the road leading to the Royal Enclosure.

The tower has narrow steps to its upper floor and and would have been protected round the clock . There is space to house at least 20 soldiers inside. It has curved arches inside making it look beautiful from inside.

The Mint Compound: The Guard Tower secures the entrance to the Mint Compound. This is the place where the currency was minted. Obviously, this place bore the brunt of the invaders. Only thing we see today are remains of broken walls. The building must have been huge and well protected, each of the sections well divided. The basement of the building is still intact.

At a distance from the mint building inside the enclosure, there are a Mosque and a pavilion. There are fortified walls between the Mint and the inner buildings. The area is filled with bushes and there is no tourist activity. It is better not to venture alone to the Mosque area.

The Dannayaka’s Enclosure: Just near the mint compound on the other side, there is a view point. You need to climb some big steps to reach to the top of a stone from which we can have  view of the entire area. The Dannayaka’s (General of the army) enclosure is a vast area with the residential structures of the army generals.

As any other structure in the Royal Enclosure, these buildings are also taken down and only the empty basements and walls are left out. Imagining the glorious days the area and its people had seen, our eyes will definitely be moistened.  Excavations are sill on to bring the un-explored parts of the enclosure to light.

Granaries: Just after the View point and towards the entrance of the Royal Enclosure, we find three round granaries that were used to store pulses and paddy for distribution for people in need. They have also been taken down and only remains are the outer structure of the granaries. They should have been really big considering their size.

The buildings described above just gives us a glimpse of the massive constructions which lie ahead inside the Royal Enclosure.