Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur

Continuing with my journey through Bijapur for the That's My World series, this week I relate my experiences at Gol Gumbaz.

Gol Gumbaz is the second largest dome in the world, the first being St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. It is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (1627-56 AD), the 7th ruler of this dynasty. Adil Shah II wanted a monument that matched his fathers’ tomb, the Ibrahim Rauza. Little did he know then that same monument would turn in to his sepulcher. It was designed and built by the renowned architect Yaqut of Dabul but could not be completed as the king died unexpectedly in 1656. This incomplete building was converted in to his sepulcher.



On entering the massive structure we were surprised to see that it was a single huge room. The entire floor area we were told was 1700 sqm, in the centre were the cenotaphs of the Mohammad Adil, his two wives, his mistress Rambha, his daughter and grandson. The hugeness and hollowness of this single room is unfathomable from outside. The Gumbaz, meaning the dome, was high up at a height of 51m.

We climbed the stairs of one of the minarets, seven floors, to reach the Gumbaz. In fact we hurried through the stairs to reach the whispering gallery. The whispering gallery of Gol Gumbaz is famed for the clear echoes of the faintest whistle, not once but more than nine times. There has to be pin drop silence to hear that.

The Gumbaz opens at 6AM; we were there even before that. There was one more family of three members and we had an unspoken understanding to maintain pin drop silence. When one member made a sound the rest of us listened and counted in silence the echoes. We could very clearly hear seven echoes, then the fainter ones too. Whispers were clearly audible at diametrically opposite side of the dome. Children had fun exchanging whispers. Awed completely by the acoustical wonder we sat there in darkness marveling at this treasure of India. More than three centuries old, the monument stood strong bearing the brunt of nature.



Soon it was morning; local crowd started trickling in, with of course no spoken or unspoken understanding. Each of them wanting to hear his own echo, and then there was total cacophony. We then walked along the gallery around the base of the dome, its width just about 3.54m peeping down at the tombs down below. Any accidental fall from there would mean sure… Outside the dome, the petals like structures were reflecting the red glow from the sun’s rays. The monument stood high and mighty to face one more day. If this was the marvel in its incomplete state I wonder what it would have been, if it was completed!

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