Gol Gumbaz, The Largest Dome in India at Bijapur

By George On

Gol Gumbaz is the largest dome ever built in India. It is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah, the famous Adil Shahi dynasty ruler. Gol Gumbaz is situated at Bijapur, in Karnataka state, India. Vijayapura is the official name for Bijapur.

Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka
Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka.

This Tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah is the second-largest dome in the world. It does not have any support of pillars. The largest dome is that of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, believed to be built over the burial site of St. Peter, Christ’s Apostle and the first Pope.

The Tomb is built in the Deccan style of Architecture. The central chamber of the tomb has a special feature where your sound is echoed seven times!

Whispering Gallery is another attraction of the Tomb, where any minute sound can be heard inside the hall at a distance of 37 meters.

Gol Gumbaz, The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, also has a Museum, Mosque, and ruins of the Guest Houses. The museum was once the hall meant for the trumpeters.

Bijapur is one of the most famous historical cities in India, which was the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty.

Ibrahim Rauza, the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, the fifth king of the Adil Shahi dynasty, is another place of historical importance in this city. It is said that the Taj Mahal was designed based on inspiration from the design of Ibrahim Rauzathe. There are many other historical buildings in this ancient city.

How Do I Go to Gol Gumbaz?

Gol Gumbaz is situated at Bijapur, connected by NH 13 (now renamed NH 50), which connects Solapur to Mangalore. NH-218, connecting Hubli with Humnabad, also passes through Bijapur, India.

Bijapur railway station, with railway station code BJP, connects this historic city with the rest of India by train.

Sambre Airport (IXG) at Belgaum and Hubli Airport (HBX) at Hubli are the nearest airports to Bijapur, at around 165 kilometers distance. There is a proposed new greenfield airport coming up at Bijapur.

Bijapur Gol Gumbaz is situated around 530 kilometers away from Bengaluru alias Bangalore, the capital of the state of Karnataka, which is connected by bus services.

Hyderabad, Goa, and Pune are the nearest international airports. The nearest domestic airport is at Belagavi. Hyderabad Airport is approximately 380 kilometers away from Bijapur. Goa airport is at 340 kilometers and Pune airport at 354 kilometers away.

Mumbai is around 550 kilometers away from this historic city. Mumbai to Bijapur bus services are available.