Architectural Marvels of Medieval India

Architectural Marvels: Gol Gumbaz 

• The name “Gol Gumbaz” is derived from “Gola Gombadh” or “Gol Gomata,” which simply translates to “circular dome”
• Each of the four octagonal towers around the Bijapur Gol Ghumat has stairs leading to a gallery at the top. From the towers, you may obtain a great panoramic view of Bijapur
• A stone hangs over the mausoleum’s main entrance. The “Bijli Pathar” is the name given to this stone (Lightning Stone). This is a meteorite that fell to Earth during the Sultan’s reign. It was said that the stone shielded the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur from lightning strikes
• The Gol Gumbaz Express is a train that runs between Mysore and Solapur, passing through Bijapur

Gol Gumbaz:

It’s located in Bijapur, Karnataka. Designed by himself, it’s the sepulchre of Muhammad Adil Shah of Iran (1626–1656), the seventh Sultan of the Adil Shahi Dynasty of Bijapur (1489–1686).

• The tomb is a complex of buildings like a mosque, a Sarai, a gateway, and a Naqqar Khana that is located within a large walled garden

Gumbaz:

• Gumbad or Gol Gumbaz is a monument that has a square building and a circular drum over the top that rests a majestic dome. This structure gives the building its nomenclature
• The Gol Gumbaz is made of decorated plasterwork and dark grey basalt
• Each wall of the tomb is of the same length, height, and thickness i.e., 135 feet, 110 feet, and 10 feet respectively
• The height of the building rises to over 200 feet with the drum and the dome
• The tomb has only 1 square chamber and the dome is the second largest dome in the world that covers an uninterrupted floor space of 18,337 sq. ft
• The hemispherical masonry dome that is over a square base was built with the help of pendentives. The shape of the dome is lent by these pendentives. Pendentives also helped in transferring the weight of the dome to the walls below
• In order to cover angles formed by intersecting arches, new vaulting systems were created that consisted of arch-nets or stellate forms in squinches
• The building has an amazing acoustical system. There is a whispering gallery along with the drum of the dome where sounds get magnified and echoed a lot of times. Due to this acoustical system, even a soft sound can be heard on the other side mausoleum  

There are seven-storeyed octagonal spires or towers similar to minaret at the four corners of the building:

• Towers house staircases in the dome leading to the top of the dome. These tower house staircases make it possible to view the location from the top of the tomb
• Foliage is used to decorate the drum of the dome

• A distinctive feature of the facade is a heavily bracketed cornice resting on corbels
• Timurid and Persian styles are suggested by structural particularities of the dome, arches, geometric proportions, and load-bearing techniques
• It is built of local material and is adorned with surface embellishments popular in the Deccan
• Four towers at the corners are comparable to turrets and these are attached to masjids or mosques like Qila-i Kuhna Masjid and the Purana Qila in Delhi

Interesting Facts

• The Tomb was erected in 1656 in commemoration of Sultan Adil Shahi. The architect’s name is Yaqut of Dabul
• The building’s architecture is inspired by the Taj Mahal in Agra and is based on Deccan Indo – Islamic design
• It is also known as the ‘Black Taj Mahal’ or the ‘Taj Mahal of South India’
• Gol Gumbaz is also known as Gol Gumbaz, which means “circle dome”
• The mausoleum has one of the world’s largest single-chamber chambers
• A whispering gallery is one of the monument’s most stunning characteristics, since even those standing a great distance away can hear the lowest whispers. The sound generated inside echoes back seven times

Conclusion

The Gol Gumbaz is more than simply a tomb; it is a monument to the splendour of Adil Shahi power in Southern India. The Gol Gumbaz is a well-known mausoleum in India, featuring art and architectural characteristics from a bygone era. The majestic building, also known as the Gol Ghumat, is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India and attracts countless people from India and outside who come to experience the monument’s captivating architecture and unique acoustic qualities.