December 24, 2012
It was about 1-30 PM when we arrived at Shahpur, the second largest town of Yadgiri district. Shahpur hill is much larger than the town itself. Our plan was to visit the fort but the timing was not right. We decided to skip it and plan another visit. We found a Lingayath Khanawali, had a hearty meal and made inquiries about Vanadurga. Our destination was 25 kms away and we had to go via Gogi village which is about 12 kms from Shahpur. Gogi is known for two things- Adil Shahi tombs and Uranium. We decided to stop at Gogi and visit the Shahi tombs.
According to reliable sources the first four 'Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur had their tombs constructed in a necropolis at Gogi, while the next four each had his tomb constructed in the neighborhood of Bijapur itself- Gol Gumbaz, Ibrahim Rauza, and many others. Adil Shahi Sultans were known to patronize Sufi saints. Quoting few lines from the article 'Sufi Saints in Karnataka' authored by Prof. Maruti Kamble of Karnatak University, Dharwad- A reference to twenty-two famous Sufi saints of Bijapur during the Adil Shahi period are found. (1) Sayyid Chanda Husaini migrated from Arabia to Bidar in the late 15th century and joined the cavalry of King Yusuf Adil Khan and accompanied him to Gogi, seven miles from Shahapur of Gulbarga district. At present his tomb is located in Gogi. Do read the article, its quite interesting. BTW, Gogi is now part of Yadgiri district.
Here are few pictures:
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| Gateway to Dargah of Sayyid Chanda Husaini |
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| Sayyid Chanda Husaini Dargah mosque |
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| Mosque's minarets |
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| Gateway to Adil Shahi tomb complex |
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| Circular balcony |
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| Inside of the necropolis gateway |
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| Structure housing the royal tombs |
About 5 or 6 kilometers on Gogi-Vanadurga road we saw this brick structure, it seems quite ancient, possibly constructed during Adil Shahi times.
...see you at Vanadurga.
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