Gol Gumbaz

Dominating the sky line of Vijayapura city for miles around, is the Gol Gumbaz hailed as “One of the finest structural triumphs of the Indian builders.” Built by Muhammad Adil Shah, the seventh ruler of the Adil Shahi dynasty, between 1626-1656, as a mausoleum for himself, it boasts of the second largest dome in the world, after St.Peter’s at Rome. Contained within a walled enclosure in the midst of beautifully laid out gardens, the monument is an impressive structure. A square hall, 20 ft,. in length and breadth, is enclosed by four lofty walls rising to a height of 100 feet but tressed by octagonal towers, surmounted by a hemispherical dome on a petalled base. The enormous dome which has an internal diameter of 38 meters has a gallery around its base. The remarkable feature of this gallery is the acoustics, where the slightest whisper is magnified ten times earning it name of the Whispering Gallery. On a raised platform in the centre of the hall are the replica tombs of Muhammad Adil Shah and his family, enclosed by a wooden railing. The actual tombs lie in a crypt below. Visiting Timings: Morning 6 AM IST to Evening 6 PM IST