Gol Gumbad

 

Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur (Karnataka)

1. Location and Purpose:
• The Gol Gumbad is located in Bijapur, Karnataka, and serves as the mausoleum for the seventh Sultan of the Adil Shahi Dynasty,Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah (1626–1656).
2. Architectural Composition:
• The mausoleum complex includes a gateway, a Naqqar Khana (drum house), a mosque, and a sarai within a large-walled garden.
• The Gol Gumbad is a monumental square building with an unfinished appearance.
3. Construction and Materials:
• Constructed by the ruler himself, the building is made of dark gray basalt and decorated plasterwork.
• Each wall of the tomb is 135 feet long, 110 feet high, and 10 feet thick.
• The building rises to a height of over 200 feet, with a circular drum supporting a majestic dome.
4. Interior Structure:
• The tomb chamber, covering an area of 18,337 square feet, contains the burial place of the Sultan, his wives, and other relatives.
• The dome, with a diameter of 125 feet, is constructed with pendentives that transfer its weight to the walls below.
• Real graves are located perpendicularly below in a vault, accessed by stairs.
5. Acoustical Features:
• The Gol Gumbad features an impressive acoustical system, including a whispering gallery along the drum of the dome where sounds get magnified and echoed.
6. Architectural Styles:
• The building reflects a convergence of styles in medieval India, combining Timurid and Persian influences in its dome, arches, geometric proportions, and load-bearing techniques.
• Local materials are used, and surface embellishments popular in the Deccan region are incorporated.
7. Decorative Elements:
• Four seven-storeyed octagonal spires or minaret-like towers are located at the corners of the building.
• The drum of the dome is decorated with foliation, and a heavily bracketed cornice resting on corbels is a distinctive feature of the facade.
8. Historical Significance:
• Gol Gumbad is associated with monumentality, majesty, and grandeur, which are integral aspects of the architectural experience in Bijapur.
9. Architectural Influences:
• The presence of four towers at the corners is reminiscent of turrets attached to mosques such as Qila-i Kuhna Masjid and the Purana Qila in Delhi.