Karnataka   

A monument of striking beauty

The tomb of Sultan Ali Barid Shah in Bidar.

A monument of striking beauty, and an ever inspiring work place for students of fine arts in the historic city of Bidar, is the tomb of Sultan Ali Barid Shah, the founder of the Barid Shahi dynasty. The structure is nearly 70 feet high. It has a big dome supported by four pillars. It has a grand pavilion based on a high platform built by green granite and laterite rock. The tomb is a self-contained entity having a mosque, a public bath and at least five open wells. It is s urrounded by a 30-acre walled garden. The inside and outside walls of the tomb have been embossed with inscribed tiles. Verses from the Quran are written in Persian script all over the building. Weather changes have peeled off some of the tiles. It has a Shikhara made of an alloy of gold.

There are some interesting facts about the tomb. Ali Barid, who ruled between 1542 and 1580, had a keen interest in architecture. He built his own tomb, three years before his death. He reserved spaces for his wives inside the tomb’s main pavilion. He also built some empty tombs for members of his harem outside the pavilion.

Ali Barid was the most powerful of all Barid Shahi kings and ruled the longest. The main entrance of the mosque faces Udgir in Maharashtra, where he stayed for some time. A famous painting by British artist Meadows Tailor has achieved iconic status.

The Forests Department has developed a garden of soap nut trees and other flower-bearing plants around the tomb. The garden serves as the city’s lung space. It is the venue of morning walks for many Bidar residents.

However, the structure complex needs maintenance as some of its walls are collapsing. Some people have tried to encroach upon the land around the tomb.

Ghulam Yazdani, chief archaeologist of the last Hyderabad Nizam, took a personal interest in preserving the structure and reviving the garden.

Rishikesh Bahadur Desai in Bidar

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