Twenty- five Seven

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  • Badami : Stories in Stone

    Badami : Stories in Stone

    After the visit to the Gol Gumbaz we returned to the hotel for a well-deserved breakfast before setting off southwards towards Badami or Vatapi as it was called when it was the Chalukya capital. We didn’t get to see the town but the caves on the outskirts definitely showcased the glory and power of the Chalukyas.

    The weather was good, slightly overcast and the 2 1/2 hours passed by quickly.

    On the way we saw some gaily decorated tractors festooned with feathers, ribbons, streamers and cheerleader pompoms.

    Tractor
    Tractor dressed up
    Tractor dressed up
    Decorated tractor

    As we approached Badami, we began to see the rock formations of sandstone from which the caves are carved.

    The four caves that we had come to see are part of the UNESCO designated area and are often on the tourist trail of visitors to Hampi. These 6th-century CE cave temples were built during the Chalukya reign and are more than just architectural masterpieces. They also retell some of the most fascinating stories of our Gods and Goddesses.

    One can see the ramparts of the fort built by Tipu Sultan on top
    I was quite daunted by the imposing hill with the gun tower of Tipu’s fort on top
    The names of the sculptors inscribed on top of the white markings
    The lines marking attence
    The lines marking attendance of the workers

    On top of the caves are inscribed the names of the sculptors while on the side is an attendance register of the workers who reported to work.

    Cave 1 : The Cave Of Shiva

    The different caves are dedicated to different gods. The first is dedicated to Shiva, and shows him in his various forms.

    The Dancing Shiva

    At the entrance itself, is the magnificent sculpture ofthe Dancing Shiva in his avatar as Nataraja. With his 18 arms, this sculpture is a compendium of Bharat Natyam poses as our guide Raju very gamely showed us.

    Shiva dancing on a lotus with the drummer at his side and Ganesh near him

    Gender Fquality and the story of Bringu

    Sage Bhringi was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and refused to bow to his wife Parvati. But Shiva didn’t like this so he put Parvati on his lap making it impossible for Brhingi to go round with going round Parvati too! But Bhringi transformed changed himself into a bee so that he could circumambulate only Shiva. This made Parvati really angry, so she took away his flesh and left him a weak, helpless skeleton. Seeing his plight, Shiva gave him an extra leg to stand on. This is how Bhringi got his third leg.

    But Shiva wanted Bhringi to realise that the Universe consists of both male and female energy and he hadt o circumambulate Parvati, so he appeared as Ardha Nari nareshwar, a form that unifies the male and female energy of the universe.

    harihareshwar : when Shiva and Vishnu come together

    This statue shows both Shiva and Vishnu as one signifying that both Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same.

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    Dwarpal with Trishul
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    Standing on the Vrishabha Kunjara

    The doorkeeper on the left of the cave is standing on Vrishaba -Kunjara a motif where both the elephant and the bull share one head.

    On the ceiling

    Nagaraja
    Nagaraja with multiple serpant heads and a human body

    In the sanctum sanctorum or garbhagriha one can see the shivling.

    The Shivling

    After the mukhamantapa or the verandah with columns is the main sanctum sanctorum of the temple carved out of the hill.

    Cave II

    Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the cave has amazing carvings of different avatars of Vishnu,

    A door keeper of the Vishnu cave 2

    Some beautiful sculptures on the ceiling.

    Shiva Parvati
    Continuous swastika
    Matsya chakra
    Brahma on the ceiling

    The Avatars of Vishnu

    Varahaavatar holding up Bhoodevi
    Vamanavataar
    Narsimha Avatar
    Vishnu sitting on Adishesha

    Cave 3 :Vestiges of vegetable dye painting

    While the caves are spectacular, it is quite a climb and not meant for those who are faint of heart or weak-kneed.

    Around the caves

    Now sealed, the staircase to the top of the fort

    Similarly, there is a strong overpowering smell of bat droppings.

    One should also take care not to open water bottles while on the climb or near the caves, as the monkeys that are around come swooping down to grab the bottle, have a sip, and then perversely pour it out empty before running off.

    I personally was exhausted by the time we finished Cave 3 and gave Cave 4 a miss.

    We still had to visit the Bhootnath Temple at Agastya Lake and the Banashankari Temple so we went down to catch a rickshaw.

    We passed through narrow gulleys of the town, relatively clean save for the open drainage and several pigs we found running around and scavenging in garbage heaps.

    The light was fading and we were quite exhausted.

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    Bhoothnath
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    Experimenting with carving
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    Sculptors honing their skills
    Bhoothnath Temple

    So we made a cursory trip to the temple, saw a laboratory of sorts a little away on a hillside where the apprentice sculptures practiced their skills in carving and sculpting.

    Our last stop was the Banashankari temple which most of us gave the skip, preferring instead to indulge in a cup of sweet masala chai.

    Briefly put, Parvati’s father was performing a yagna to which she showed up uninvited. Her father rudely asked her why she had come. This so enraged Parvati, that she jumped into the yagna and blew up into 52 pieces one of which landed at the spot where the temple now stands.

    Even though this temple is of historic and religious significance, we just about made a brief visit. The temple has a special festival in January-February, where 5-mile-long queues made our 30-minute wait seem like a dream. Unfortunately, our arrival coincided with the bath time for the goddess and we had to wait till she was ready to receive her devotees. Once inside, we got a quick glimpse of her but left satisfied that we could actually see her.

    Tip : If one wants to explore the Bhoothnath temple, the archeological museum, Badami Fort and the Banashankari Temple, two days are required in Badami.

    Ciao,

  • THE LITTLE KNOWN SECRETS OF THE GOL GUMBAZ

    THE LITTLE KNOWN SECRETS OF THE GOL GUMBAZ

    an arched gateway to the stairs
    A column showing the interlocking mechanism

    The early next morning, we set off for the GOL Gumbaz the monument synonymous with Bijapur. Our guide for the day (a special friend of my sister-in-law) recommended that the early morning was the best time to see the monument.

    The monument looked large as it emerged through the early morning mist, its huge dome becoming smaller and smaller as we approached it. When we finally reached the end of the pathway, the minarets and the dome had vanished!

    This is the first secret of the Gol Gumbaz : it is not a single building as it appears from afar, but a series of three structures perfectly aligned to create the illusion of a single structure!

    The mausoleum was built by Mohammed Adil Shah, the 7th Sultan of Bijapur. The first structure is the Nagara Khana, where the king used to visit to oversee the construction of the tomb. Today, this building houses the Archaeological Museum. Apart from the many artefacts and sculptures that come from the area, one can see the special porcelain plate that changed colour if the food placed on it was poisoned. This was the Sultan’s way of ensuring that the food he was going to eat was safe to consume.

    The gateway to the mausoleum consists of a long structure with the central archway perfectly aligned with the succeeding ones to create an illusion of one archway becoming bigger till you come into the precincts of the mausoleum.

    To the right of the mausoleum is the mosque.

    One of the building’s chief features is the whispering gallery near the dome, where a whisper can be heard at the opposite end with ease. A sound as soft as the ticking of a clock, a rustle of paper too can be heard at the other end.

    Constructed from black basalt, the stones are interlocked, and the structure is kept cool with 3-inch-thick gratings that draw in cool air. In the four corners are octagonal minarets accessed by a narrow staircase leading to the dome at the top.

    The dome is a total wonder. It is held aloft by eight intersecting arches and is the single largest free-standing dome in India, and the second largest in the world. Its span is only surpassed by the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

    The gallery on top is wide enough for a bullock cart to drive on

    Below the dome lie the graves of Mohammed Adil Shah and his family. But unlike the other tombs, the mistress of Mohammed Adil Shah gets pride of place and rests to his right, unlike his queen.

    This is the second secret of the Gol Gumbaz : The grave to the right of the Sultan does not belong to his chief wife but to his favourite mistress Rambhavati.

    Legend has it that the Sultan wanted to test his wives’ love and asked each of them to jump off the balcony to prove it. Each one of them refused save Rambhavati, his mistress that he had abducted from Sri Lanka. But Rambahavati was smart and said she would do so on condition that the Sultan present her with a special 40-foot-long piece of cloth. This she draped around her so when she jumped, it acted like a parachute and she landed safely!

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    The canopied grave of Mohammed Adil Shah and Rambhavati by his side

    The steps to the gallery are steep and the stairwell is narrow. Since the steps aren’t even, I only climbed up to the first floor and came down. But the rest of the gang enjoyed the view from the top and thoroughly appreciated the song that our guide whispered from the far end.

    I only wish I had visited this architectural marvel a few decades earlier. I would have then been able to climb to the top with ease.

    Look out for the next post when I share my experience of the cave temples of Badami.

    Ciao,

  • A Heavenly Palace and A large Gun

    A Heavenly Palace and A large Gun

    Like any old city, Bijapur abounds with historic ruins. On the way to the Gagan Mahal, we passed a magnificent gateway called Mehtar Mahal. . This tall beautiful structure, built in the Indo-Sarcenic style is in a state of total disrepair. As late as July of this year, a dome from one of the minarets came crashing down.

    The lower portion of the balcony
    The dome on the left minaret that crashed down
    The solid teak door of the Mehter Mahal

    Some people say this is the entrance to the Palace built by a sweeper to the king. Some say it is the entrance to the mosque made by the sweeper to the king. But Jehangir pooh-poohed this as rubbish.

    GAGAN MAHAL

    Unlike most of the ruins that we saw that were of mausoleums or mosques, this particular ruin was the first palace built by Adil Shah. It is set in a citadel that had six palaces built by each succeeding king of the Adil Shahis. Traces of a crumbling fortifying wall and a moat sadly floating with rubbish, can still be seen.

    Ruins of the Gagan Mahal with its central archway

    The Central archway with its 90 ft span is impressive indeed. Now open to sky, this once was a huge two-storey structure with a durbar hall on the ground floor to receive special guests. Wooden columns held up a ceiling . The royal family lived on the first floor. Vestiges of the beautiful building are still visible but largely this remains a ghostly relic of the past.

    the Coat of Arms
    Fort wall
    Necklace design on archway
    Jewellery cubbies on top floor
    Wall showing how wooden beams and pillars were placed to hold up the ceiling
    Details of the archway

    THE TWELVE ARCHES OF THE UNFINISHED TOMB

    As per Islamic tradition (according to Jehangir) each king built his own mausoleum and began its construction upon his accession to the throne. This was because they wanted to die as rich as they had lived. Ali Adil Shah ll wanted a tomb that would overshadow his father’s Gol Gumbaz but sadly it remains unfinished. Thus, the unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah ll remains a grand structure with 12 rows of arches placed lengthwise and breadthwise on a huge plinth, open to the sky. This structure is known as Bara Kaman.

    The plinth with the 12 arches
    Close up of the archway
    Perfectly aligned arches
    An arch before the supporting wall was knocked down
    Arch with keystone and rings holding the stones
    The graves

    And in this unfinished mausoleum lie buried the king and his family.

    The Lord of the Battlefield

    As we drove up to the battlements of the fort, if Jehangir were to be believed, we actually on a road which was once a moat. Bijapur, he proudly told us, was like Venice. It’s hard to imagine, though but with the grand edifices, albeit in ruin, it must have been a truly majestic capital city.

    The 16th Century cannon made of bell metal or panchadhatu , Malik-e-maidan or Lord of the Battlefield is on top of a cannon tower.

    This monster of a gun was made in Ahmednagar and used in the battle of Talikota in which the Vijayanagar empire was defeated. It was in Solapur for several years before it was brought to Bijapur by elephants .

    With a 14-foot-long muzzle beautifully embellished with three inscriptions on the top, and an elephant being devoured by a lion at its mouth. The first half of its chamber was packed with gunpowder and then stuffed with huge cannon balls that shot out when the fun was fired. It made such a loud sound that the gunman had to jump into a well after the wick was lit to prevent his ears from shattering. Jehangir told us that the aim of this gun was not to kill humans but to create such a fierce sound that all the horses and elephants of the approaching army would flee I panic.

    The Oriental lion of the Lion turret on which the gun isounyed
    The fun with the elephant in the jaws of the lion
    The inscriptions
    Close up of the elephant and lion

    The shadows were beginning to lengthen and it was time to move on to our last monument for the day.

    The Black Taj

    It was a treat to see this monument in the dying day. The blue sky with a few clouds made for a dramatic setting, and we enjoyed a leisurely walk through the complex as Jehangir pointed out the minute details that distinguished this monument. He wound it up with some fantastic photographs which I cannot unfortunately reproduce here without the permission of my friends

    Made of black basalt, this truly is a magnificent mausoleum. Called the Black Taj, this was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal in Agra was modelled.

    The Black Taj was begun by Ibrahim Adil Shah as a mausoleum for his wife queen Taj. Unfortunately, he predeceased her so she completed it and was buried beside him.

    The mausoleum with the mosque on the right
    The black Taj
    A hanging chain carved out of a single stone
    Verses from the Koran in calligraphy from a single stone makes a beautiful frieze

    Once again beautifully carved out of black stone, there are some panels that remain unfinished after the queen passed on.

    After bidding goodbye to Jehangir we went back to the city to have a look at my sister-in-law’s ancestral home and family temple.

    It was lovely to stand in front of the goddess who smiles so benevolently on all who stand before her. There were devotees lighting oil lamps before her and a special calmness surrounds you as you offer your prayers.

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