Itz been about 90 days since the last post and it also seems like ages. A lot of water has flown down the.... what river flows in Bidar ?... may.. be Manjira. Well the district is so dry you forget about the those fast flowing rivers and the vast expance of the sea of coastal Karnataka. Nevertheless with all the limitations of rain and water, Bidar is still a very beautiful place and a place to really go around and discover. A very historic district of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, its been in the thick of medieval history since the 12th century. The Town of Basavakalyan, earlier known as Kalyani, was the capital of the later Chalukyas in the 10th century. It became famous as a centre of wealth and prosperity, a seat of learning and an abode of spiritual wisdom. Even today, Basavakalyan is remembered for the saints who made this city their home-Basaveshwara, Akka-Mahadevi, Channabasavanna and Siddharama.
The fort city of Bidar offcourse is famous for the largest fort of southern India. Built by Ahmad Shah Bahmani between 1426 and 1432 A.D, has five Darwazas(gates) with imposing bastions leading into a little town nestling within the ramparts. After a drive through the town fort and the royal fort, all you can do is just run your imagination free, as to how this great capital city of the Barid Shahi rulers must have looked about 600 years back. It is offcourse difficult to delete the filthy streets, the overflowing drains, the overpopulated town to aid your imagination, but is still a marvellous experience. Its also shocking to learn how the city has degenerated to its present state.
We still have a lot to see and discover in this treasure house of history. We''ll continue to do it as and when we get some time and keep the experiences posted on this blog.
