Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur

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My-Kannada.com: Spot - Gol Gumbaz
My-Kannada.com: Spot - Jumma Masjid
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My-Kannada.com: Spot - The Ibrahim Roza, Bijapur
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Gol Gumbaz

The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, boasts of the second-largest tomb in the world.44 m in diameter, the interior of the dome is mysteriously unsupported and has a whispering gallery under it, whose acoustics are superb. Located in the north-eastern part of Karnataka, Bijapur used to be the home of the Bahamani Sultans the most illustrious of whom was the Adil Shah. Adil Shah began the task of building his own tomb, quite earnestly and went on with this work for over 20 years.

The Gol Gombaz or Gola Gummata. The dome is the second largest in the world, 124 feet in diameter. The architecture of this building is unique with the four minarets being the four staircases leading to the top dome. The acoustics of the enclosed space make it a whispering gallery, where even the smallest sound is heard across the other side of the Gombuz. At the periphery of the dome is a circular balcony where visitors can witness its greatest marvel, "ECHO". Any whisper, clap or sound gets echoed 9 times (11 times with fading) and creates an ideal stereophonic stage even for the weak-lunged singers. Even the smallest whisper amplifies and is clearly heard at the diagonally opposite side of the dome.

Story has it that the Adil Shah with his beloved, went up this balcony and both were looking down the awesome nine storied depth of its central hall. "You do love me a lot" said the Shah, "Now, would you do ANYTHING for my sake?" "Yes" said the beautiful one. "If so" said the Shah jokingly, "would you jump down this balcony?" "Sure, and here I go" the beautiful one jumped out to show her eternal love. Heart-broken, the Shah cursed himself for testing the eternal bond between them and wept for the rest of his life. The beauty and excellence of this dome must be experienced at least once in a life time. Lovers come here to whisper (aloud!), singers to enjoy the stereophonic effect and children to test the strength of their giggle.

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