Bidar is a hilltop city in the north-eastern part of Karnataka state in India. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District which borders Maharashtra and Telangana. It is a rapidly urbanising city in the wider Bidar Metropolitan area. The city is well known for its many sites of architectural, historical and religious importance. The city has a prominent place on the Archaeological Map of India. Picturesquely perched on the Deccan plateau, the Bidar fort is more than 500 years old and still standing strong. According to the book “Bidar Heritage” published by the state Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, of the 61 monuments listed by the department, about 30 are tombs located in and around Bidar city explaining its nickname, “City of Whispering Monuments”. Bidar is home for the second-biggest Indian Air Force training centre in the country. The IAF Station Bidar is used for advanced jet training of prospective fighter pilots on BAe Hawk aircraft. Bidar city is known for its Bidri handicraft products, and its rich history. Bidar is also considered one of the holiest place for Sikh pilgrimage. Bidar earned a place on the World Monument Watchlist 2014.
History: The recorded history of the city goes back to the third century B.C. when it was a part of the Mauryan Empire. After the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Kadambas, and Chalukyas of Badami and later the Rashtrakutas reigned over Bidar territory. The Chalukyas of Kalyana and Kalachuris of Kalyanis also regained the area. For a short period after Kalyani Chalukyas, the area of Bidar was under the Sevunas of Devgiri and Kakatiyas of Warangal. The Delhi Sultanate invaded the area first by Allauddin Khilji, and later, Muhammed-bin-Tughluq took control of entire Deccan including Bidar. In the middle of the 14th century, the Sultan of Delhi’s officers that were stationed in Deccan rebelled and this resulted in the establishment of Bahmanid Dynasty in 1347 A.D. at Gulbarga/Hasanabad (present Kalaburagi). There was frequent warfare between the Bahmanids and the Vijaynagar kingdom.
With the establishment of the Bahmanid dynasty (1347), Bidar was occupied by Sultan Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah Bahmani. During the rule of Ahmad Shah I (1422–1486), Bidar was made the capital city of Bahmani Kingdom. The old fort was rebuilt and madrasas, mosques, palaces, and gardens were raised. Mahmud Gawan, who became the Prime Minister in 1466, was a notable figure in the history of Bidar. Bidar remained under the Barid Shahi dynasty until the conquest by the Bijapur Sultanate in 1619. Aurangzeb came to Bidar after his father, Padshah (emperor) Shah Jahan, appointed him the Prince of Deccan. He wrested the Bidar Fort from the Adil Shahis after a 21-day war in 1656. With this, Bidar became a part of the Mughal dynasty for the second time. Bidar was made a subah (imperial top-level province) in 1656, which Telangana Subah was merged into the next year.
In 1724, Bidar became a part of the Asaf Jahi Kingdom of the Nizams. Third son of Asaf Jah l ( Nizam l ) Mir Sa’id Muhammad Khan, Salabat Jang ruled from Bidar fort from 1751 to 1762, till his brother Mir Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah III imprisoned him in this fort, and was killed in Bidar fort on 16 September 1763. Mohammedabad old name of Bidar is also on his name. It was connected to Hyderabad by rail in the early 20th century. After India’s independence, in 1956 all Kannada speaking areas were merged to form the Mysore State and Bidar became part of the new Mysore (now Karnataka) state.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is the nearest airport located at a distance of 150 km from Bidar.
Rail: Bidar railway station is well connected via express trains to nearby major cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Sainagar Shirdi, Parbhani Jn, Aurangabad, Latur, Nanded, Manmad, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Vijayawada and Renigunta.
Road: National Highway 50 that traverses through Maharashtra and Karnataka passes through Bidar and so it is easily connected to the neighbouring states by road. Road transport and privately run buses operate daily services to nearby cities and states.
Local: Autos Rickshaws, taxis and other vehicles are available for local transport within the city.
Tourist Interest:
To learn about the tourist interest click here.