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Bidar Fort

Bidar Fort

heritage site · Karnataka

Bidar Fort stands on a plateau in Bidar, northeastern Karnataka, near the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana.

State
Karnataka
Type
Heritage Site

Bidar Fort stands on a plateau in Bidar, northeastern Karnataka, near the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana. Built from red laterite stone as an irregular rhombus with double lines of defensive fortifications, 37 bastions, and a triple-channeled moat, it served as the capital of the Bahmani Sultanate.

Bidar Fort is known for

Bahmani Sultanate capitalred laterite fortificationstriple-channeled moatRangin Mahal painted tilesPersian-style karez water system

A short history

The site was originally captured from the Kakatiya dynasty in 1321-22 by Prince Ulugh Khan, later Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi. After the Bahmani Sultanate was established in 1347, Sultan Ahmad Shah I shifted the Bahmani capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427, rebuilding the fort with Persian and Turkish architects between 1429 and 1432. The fort has seven gates and encloses monuments such as the Rangin Mahal (Painted Palace), the Takht Mahal, the Jami Masjid, and the Solah Khamba Masjid. The Bijapur Sultanate captured the fort in 1619-1620; Mughal viceroy Aurangzeb took it in 1657, formally absorbed into the Mughal Empire in 1686. It passed to the Asaf Jah (Nizam) kingdom in 1724. The fort became part of Mysore State (now Karnataka) in 1956. A notable feature is the karez system, a Persian-origin underground water-harnessing technology built by the Bahmani kings in the 15th century. In 2014 the fort was added to UNESCO's tentative list under "Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate." [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidar_Fort]

Why Bidar Fort matters

As the former capital of the Bahmani Sultanate and later the Barid Shahi dynasty, Bidar Fort is one of India's key surviving examples of Deccan Sultanate military and Indo-Persian architecture.

When to go

October to February

Why visit

A vast, uncrowded Bahmani capital — Persian-influenced palaces, triple moats and the home of bidriware.

How to reach

Bidar has its own railway station with rail links to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Mumbai, and is served by Bidar Airport.

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