Bijapur and Beyond . . .
Just came back from an enchanting trip to Bijapur and its environs...
Bijapur is often thought of as a 'dirty' town with overflowing sewers and wandering pigs.
But the reality is far removed from this cliched precept.
It has become primarily an educational hub with the towering presence of BLDE ably guided by the affable MB Patil whose vision extends beyond, to revitalize the shrinking water bodies in the region.
The monuments of Adil Shahi dynasty are awesome...Though I have read so much about Gol Gumbaz, to savor it, especially when the noisy bunch who keep testing its acoustic achievements are not around, is a wonderful experience. Perhaps Bose Corporation drew inspiration from its really remarkable acoustic achievement. The town is studded with many historical and splendid monuments some of them well maintained while others are in derelict oblivion. An example is the summer pavilion which is away from the town, Modeled before its siblings up north, it reflects sophisticated engineering skills which ensure that its environs are kept in ambient temperature even in the midst of the blistering heat of Bijapur, Tucked away and in woefully neglected state within it are some enchanting frescoes which cry for restoration .
Moving beyond Bijapur we revisited the hollowed remnants of the Chalukyan enterprise in architecture...Badami (acme of cave architecture), Aihole (cradle of Indian Temple Architecture), Mahakuta (Perhaps the oldest temple still in worship...Saint Agasthya is deemed to have worshiped Vataphi Ganapathi here!) and Pattadakkal (plethora of aesthetic experimentation). Each one of them is distinctive on its own with amazing sculptural work.
Each and every time you visit these monuments it leaves you bewitched...as the photos alongside might indicate!
They are much better preserved than when we visited them a decade ago. But the paucity of a well informed guide makes the visit poorer. Though we strove to equip ourselves as best as we can before our visits, dearth of relevant information about these monuments and its historicity is striking.
Since this website is overloaded with a slew of images, I have uploaded them at
Aihole: https://goo.gl/photos/XhAnAZdQrWBUdydJ8
Badami: _https://goo.gl/photos/MxvrATYtdTh4JMm78
Pattadakkal: https://goo.gl/photos/K2dnKomeiPNBXLLf8
Mahakuta: https://goo.gl/photos/Cgq6tL8c1jc9C8Wx8
Bijapur: https://goo.gl/photos/UEyXkdqdF4jhaArN8
Do have a look and would love to hear your response
Bijapur is often thought of as a 'dirty' town with overflowing sewers and wandering pigs.
But the reality is far removed from this cliched precept.
It has become primarily an educational hub with the towering presence of BLDE ably guided by the affable MB Patil whose vision extends beyond, to revitalize the shrinking water bodies in the region.
The monuments of Adil Shahi dynasty are awesome...Though I have read so much about Gol Gumbaz, to savor it, especially when the noisy bunch who keep testing its acoustic achievements are not around, is a wonderful experience. Perhaps Bose Corporation drew inspiration from its really remarkable acoustic achievement. The town is studded with many historical and splendid monuments some of them well maintained while others are in derelict oblivion. An example is the summer pavilion which is away from the town, Modeled before its siblings up north, it reflects sophisticated engineering skills which ensure that its environs are kept in ambient temperature even in the midst of the blistering heat of Bijapur, Tucked away and in woefully neglected state within it are some enchanting frescoes which cry for restoration .
Moving beyond Bijapur we revisited the hollowed remnants of the Chalukyan enterprise in architecture...Badami (acme of cave architecture), Aihole (cradle of Indian Temple Architecture), Mahakuta (Perhaps the oldest temple still in worship...Saint Agasthya is deemed to have worshiped Vataphi Ganapathi here!) and Pattadakkal (plethora of aesthetic experimentation). Each one of them is distinctive on its own with amazing sculptural work.
Each and every time you visit these monuments it leaves you bewitched...as the photos alongside might indicate!
They are much better preserved than when we visited them a decade ago. But the paucity of a well informed guide makes the visit poorer. Though we strove to equip ourselves as best as we can before our visits, dearth of relevant information about these monuments and its historicity is striking.
Since this website is overloaded with a slew of images, I have uploaded them at
Aihole: https://goo.gl/photos/XhAnAZdQrWBUdydJ8
Badami: _https://goo.gl/photos/MxvrATYtdTh4JMm78
Pattadakkal: https://goo.gl/photos/K2dnKomeiPNBXLLf8
Mahakuta: https://goo.gl/photos/Cgq6tL8c1jc9C8Wx8
Bijapur: https://goo.gl/photos/UEyXkdqdF4jhaArN8
Do have a look and would love to hear your response