Gulbarga and the area around it was a part of the ancient Chalukyan kingdom of Badami. The origin of the town of Gulbarga goes back to the local Kakatiya rulers of Warangal. It witnessed a lot of turmoil in the early medieval period. In the early part of the 14th century, it became the part of the Delhi Sultanate. It was captured by Ulugh Khan, one of the generals belonging to the Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, and later captured by Mohammed bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi. It remained a part of the Delhi Sultanate until the death of Mohammed bin Tughlaq. Later it became a part of the Bahamani kingdom. The Bahamani kings made it their capital from 1347 to 1428. In the 17th century, it was annexed by Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler and inducted into the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, Gulbarga came under the erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad.
Gulbarga is located in the northeastern part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern region of India. It is 663 km from Bangalore city and 214 km from Hyderabad city. The climate of Gulbarga is temperate with summers (April-June) being moderately hot and winters are cool (November-February). It experiences southwestern monsoon rains in the months of May to July.
Originally built by Raja Gulchand and later fortified by Ala-ud-din Bahman, the fort contains large buildings, mosques, temples, stables, ammunition dumps, carriages, 15 towers, 26 guns and several beautiful courtyards. The piece-de-résistance of the sprawling fort is the 38,000 sq. ft. Jumma Masjid with its elegant domes and arched columns reminiscent of the great mosque of Cordoba in Spain. The crumbling ruins of Gulbarga Fort transport you to Karnataka's glorious past, when kingdoms fell and others rose from their ashes. The Sultan Hasan tomb, the tomb of Ghias-ud-din, the fine mausoleum of Feroze Shah and family, the Haft-Gumbaz outside the city and Gulbarga's many elegant mosques are also worth seeing.
This palatial mosque and tomb is equally impressive. It is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal in Agra. Optional visits: Malik-e-Maidan, Asar Mahal, Mehtar Mahal, Gagan Mahal, Bara Kaman, Upli Buruj, Jod Gumbaz and Archaeological Museum.
Catch a glimpse of Karnataka's richly textured history in this rugged 15th century fort surrounded by a triple-moated wall hewn out of red rock, with intricate battlements and an imposing gateway. The crumbling ruins of the bastions and gates, royal baths and kitchens, audience halls and pleasure pavilions stand as silent testimonies to Bidar's past glory. The Rang Mahal has elaborately carved wooden pillars, Persian couplets engraved in tiles and exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay work. A leisurely stroll through the streets of Bidar take you to the Madrassa of Khwaja Mahamud Gawan, an Islamic seminary built by Khwaja Mahamud Gawan, a prime minister of the Bahmani court, and the Chaubara, a 71 ft. high tower in the heart of the city. From here, move on to Ashtur, to see the Bahmani Tombs whose interiors are adorned by carefully preserved medieval Muslim paintings.
A Jain centre in the past, many Jain sculptures and bronzes have been found here. Malkhed is also famous for having produced two great personalities, namely, Tikacharya, the Madhava saint and Pushpadanta, the poet who wrote during the reign of Krishan II, the Rashtrakuta king.
Also known as Surpur, is the picturesque town on a ridge, surrounded by hills. It is dotted with temples, palaces, mosques and 'ashur-khanas'. An imposing fort is nearby. Taylor's Manzil, the residence of Col. Meadows Taylor, an Englishman appointed by the British, as a political agent to the state is a beautiful building.
Across the Krishna River is a huge engineering feat. The Narayanpur Dam, inaugurated in 1982, is set among beautiful gardens.
This is a Buddhist centre and the sleeping Buddha shaped mountain is worth seeing here.
29 km north west of Sharapur, this place is noted for its relations with Bahamani Dynasty. Annual 'Urs' is held here.