The serene city of Gulbarga which was earlier known as Kalburgi is one of the most visited places in Karnataka. It is located in the northern extreme of Karnataka.
Before the Muslim conquest, this city was a Hindu City. A beautiful melange of two cultures can be seen here. It is filled with beautiful natural terrain, holy places of worship and stately buildings of some amazing architecture.
Gulbarga was the administrative head quarter during Nizam?s regime and the first capital of the Bahmanis from 1347. It boasted the glorious eras of the Nizams and the Badshahs that had existed in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Durgahs, forts, mosques, temples and the artistic tombs are a great sight and they provide a good insight into the cultural grandeur of the ancient era.
The Fort here was originally built by Raja Gulchand, a feudatory of the Orangal Kakatiyas and was rebuilt by Allah-ud-din Bahmani with 15 majestic towers. Inside the fort is the huge mosque built by Muhammed Bahmani in 1367 covering 38,000 sq. feet area. The place has a huge sprawling complex housing the tomb of Bande `Nawaz, the great Sufi Saint, who came to Gulbarga in 1413. His tomb walls have paintings and there is a mosque built by the Moguls near the tomb.
The Khandar Khan?s mosque and Hirapur mosque (1585) built by Chandbibi are some other monuments here. The tomb of Sultan Hassan and Firoz Shah are imposing structures of their times.
Gulbarga has almost the same temperatures as Hampi and Solapur. The temperature here is very pleasant. During winter, the temperatures can fall up to 18°C, and in summer they can scale up to 40°C. The best time to visit is between October and March.
The Indian Rupee (INR) is the most acceptable form of currency here. It is advisable to exchange the foreign currency, and travelers cheques at bigger cities such as Bangalore and Goa.
No special permits required, but all foreign nationals need a visa for visiting India.
By Road: Road travel is recommended in case of visit to Pattadakal, Bijapur and Hampi. These places are well connected through roads. A flight to Goa or Bangalore and then a hired vehicle or a bus is advised to Hospet.
By Rail: There is a railway station at Gulbarga A lot of southbound trains stop here though the frequency is not very good.
Gulbarga Fort
Sharana Basaveshwara Temple.
Khwaja Bande Nawaz Darga
The Khandar Khan's mosque
Hirapur mosque
The State Archeology Museum
There are a lot of local eateries and restaurants here. The typical South Indian cuisine can be devoured at all the local restaurants
Gulbarga is a scenic and a peaceful town. One cannot find late night outs here. The town sleeps by 11 PM in the night.
The local shops sell souvenirs that resemble the ancient carvings, rings, paintings, artifacts, and books on the Chalukya Empire.
