Tourism
SHARANABASAVESHWAR TEMPLE
The temple is a symbol of ultimate sacrifice and embodiment of service to the needy and suffering people. People from all over the country will converge on the city to participate in the festival and witness the peetarohana of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samasthan by the present seer Poojya Sharanabasavappa Appa on the occasion of the car festival.
Saint Sharanabasaveshwara, who hailed from Aralagundigi village in Jewargi taluk, dedicated his life to serving the poor and needy. He worked tirelessly to feed people affected by the worst-ever famine in the 18th century. It was this suffering that changed the life of Sri Sharanabasaveshwara, transforming him into a saint.
The saint also gave new meaning to the culture of Dasoha (mass feeding) during the famine. He used to personally visit the houses of the rich and affluent and collect foodgrains to feed the poor at the gruel centres.
Even today, a portion of the harvested foodgrains is kept aside by farmers for the temple to enable the temple to continue the Dasoha service.
Besides helping those in need, the Dasoha service encouraged people to give up hatred and develop compassion for the suffering masses. Soon the monumental work of the saint spread to other corners of the district and neighbouring States of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Later, at the invitation of Sri Doddappa Appa Gowda, forefathers of the present Peetathipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samasthan Dr. Shanaranabasavappa Appa, the saint shifted base to Gulbarga. During the car festival and other important occasions in the temple, every house in the city becomes a “Dasoha Mane” and the pilgrims are not only given shelter but also looked after well.
The Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah is the tomb of the great Sufi saint, Khwaza Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz, popularly known as Khwaza Bande Nawaz. The venue of an annual 'Urs', over thousands of people from all faiths visit the dargah to offer their respects. This magnificent building was built in the Indo-Saracenic style and very clearly exhibits the varying styles of these two cultures. While the arches are a specialty of Bahmani architecture, the paintings on the walls and the domes are Turkish and Iranian in style. The Dargah Library stocks as many as 10000 books in Urdu, Persian and Arabic on eclectic subjects ranging from history and literature. The mosque near the tomb has been ascribed to Aurangzeb. The Aiwane-Shahi building where the Nizams used to stay when they visited the Dargah is now the Divisional Commissioner's office. There is also a circuit house nearby. |
Buddha Vihar is located in Gulbarga on a sprawling 70 acre land. It is the nations largest and one of its kind. It is adjoining the Gulbarga University in the city outskirts.It is built by the Siddartha Vihar Trust at a cost of more than Rs 8 crore, is considered to be one of the biggest in the entire South India.
Nearly 1,500 tonnes of cement, 250 tonnes of steel, 5 lakh bricks and 200 cubic metres of sand have been converted by artisans and craftsmen into this beautiful structure that is built. The main structure stands on 32,450 sq ft of land on 170 pillars with 284 blocks. Each one of these reflect the Ajanta and Ellora sculptures and art.
The ground and first floors of the vihar have the sanctum sanctorum where two exquisitely carved idols of Lord Buddha are installed. A six-foot idol of Lord Buddha carved from glossy, black stone sculptured by sculptor Ashoka Gudikara of Bidadi in Ramanagaram district is installed in the ground floor. Buddha Vihar will be one of its kind spiritual centre in the country. The building will be a symbol of ancient history and social movements in the region. It serves as a great tribute to Buddha,Basava and Ambedker,who struggled and dedicated their lives for the needy in the society.
It is not only a great tourist centre and also a centre of creativity and research.This is centre is doing a lot of research on Buddhism.
The beautifully sculpted panchloha idol with a gold coating is the biggest of its kind in South India. A gold-plated smiling idol of Lord Buddha along with his favourite disciples, Anand and Kashyap, has been brought here from Bangkok,and it was brought to India in 2004.
The intricately carved doors in rosewood and teakwood are designed by artisan Kaiser Ali, connected with the royal family Mysore.The complex consists of a museum, where another idol of Lord Buddha is installed, an auditorium, guesthouses, and a dining hall.
The massive Gulbarga fort is part of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Karnataka spawned by the Bahmani Sultanate. The fort was originally built by Raja Gulchand, a feudatory of the Orangal Kakatiyas. As Gulbarga gained prominence as the Bahmani capital, the fort was fortified by Alauddin Bahman with a deep moat and massive walls.
Ensconced within the confines of the fort are a number of ancient structures including large buildings, mosques, temples, stables, ammunition dumps, carriages, towers, guns, and several beautiful courtyards. The bustling infrastructure of the Gulbarga fort helped as it stood guard against invading armies and raiding marauders. Even though Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya ravaged the structure it was subsequently rebuilt by Adil Shah.
The once majestic Gulbarga fort now stands as a dilapidated structure with the structures inside having crumbled into ruins. Owing to neglect on part of the authorities, the fort now presents a desolate and forlorn picture. Several illegal constructions mar the beauty of the fort and the encircling moat is filled with garbage.
This page is maintained by Sr. Programmer, Dhiren K Gada +919036363001, Gulbarga Mahanagara Palike,Gulbarga
