KALABURAGI: There are many important monuments in Kalaburagi, but the number of tourists visiting them is less due to a lack of maintenance, opined artist and researcher Rehaman Patel.
Speaking with TNIE on the occasion of World Tourism Day to be celebrated on Wednesday, Patel said Shor Gumbaz was built much before Gol Gombaz of Vijayapura, on a hilltop overlooking the city. It was to alert the army of Bahmani Sultanate of impending attacks. It has an eco-sound system that is now very poorly maintained. Its outer part has good space which can be converted into a beautiful garden. Unfortunately, the surrounding land is being dug up by the mafia even today, Patel rued.
Another monument is the Haft Gumbaz complex which consists of a series of tombs of the Bahmani kings. One of them is that of Firuz Shah. During his period, a fusion of Indo-Islamic art and architecture took birth in the Deccan. His tomb is the best example of this architecture that was built using black stone for doors and windows sculpted by Chalukyan artisans. The king invited these skilled artisans to work with Turkish masons. This monument is fully encroached by locals, he adds.
Moving towards the Bahmani fort, it has a Jama Masjid that was built after the Great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Spain. The mosque has a capacity to accomodate 5,000 people at a time for prayer. The structure consists of multiple arches inside and a number of domes. Very close to this structure, there sits the world’s longest cannon measuring 29 feet that was discovered by local researchers in 2014. After its find went viral, the people would come here to see the cannon, but they had to return without seeing it as the gate was always closed. A tourist has to spend atleast 2 to 3 hours to visit the fort, Patel said.